Chester-based luxury tour operator International Travel Connections (ITC) kicked off its 40th anniversary year with a new name for their luxury portfolio: no longer ITC Classics but ITC Luxury Travel, along with the launch of their new ‘The Complete Caribbean’ brochure.

The business, whose head office is on Canal Street, saw profits grow by 68% in 2013, and 2014 is anticipated to be a record-breaking year with £1.4m projected profit.

The company’s journey into luxury travel began in Barbados back in 1974 and as a consequence has a genuine passion for the Caribbean, where the ITC story first started.

CEO Jennifer Atkinson said: “Passion for the Caribbean runs like blood through the veins of ITC Luxury Travel."

“For us, it’s personal as well as professional, from chairwoman June Foster who hails from Barbados, through to director Judie Hinkson who is married to a St Lucian."

“I’ve got a real soft spot for Barbados too, having had a holiday there regularly. Not only do we have a tried and trusted network of partner representatives throughout the Caribbean, we have our own staff in the key gateway islands of Barbados and Antigua and an ITC office on Barbados, meaning our clients know they’re going to be exceptionally well looked after on their travels.”

ITC starts its birthday celebration in the region in earnest this March with the platinum cricket cruise onboard SeaDream.

ITC’s first luxury cruise ship charter in the Caribbean was some 20 years ago and this anniversary event will include a week of cruising and a dash of cricket followed by a week on Barbados at the wonderful Cobblers Cove. For details, visit www.itcluxurytravel.co.uk .