The group’s 12 Spear Travels and Broads Travel branches, as well as its homeworkers, will all benefit from greater access to Aito’s specialist operator community.

Peter Cookson, group managing director, said everyone at Spear and Broads was looking forward to renewing relationships with industry friends and colleagues.

"We originally joined as members of Carta (The Campaign for Real Travel Agents) in the late 1990s and were with Aito after that right up until about five years ago," said Cookson.

"We are delighted to bring our 12 branches and our homeworkers back into the Aito family again. We look forward to seeing, and working with, many of our industry friends and colleagues.

"Part of the reason for us rejoining is we heard about the great work and support that Aito had provided to its members over the past two years."

The move, said Aito, would bolster the number of Aito agents working with its specialist operators. The association said its Travel Insights survey had highlighted the greater value consumers were now placing on expertise and customer service owing to the effects of the pandemic.

"We have worked hard during the pandemic to support all members of the association and now we hope to start reaping the rewards by further expansion," said Aito executive director Martyn Sumners.

"It’s also a sign of the times that some consumers have had their fingers burnt booking on their own and now want that reassurance that only a travel agent or tour operator can bring."

Haslemere Travel owner Gemma Antrobus, chair of the Aito Agents group, added: "I’m absolutely delighted to see Peter, Libby, Julie and the Spear Travels teams rejoin the Aito family.

"We have missed their engagement, fantastic industry knowledge and friendship, and we all look forward to seeing them at our next face-to-face agent event, KickStart, on 3 March."