High street retailers urged to back new ‘Association of Travel Agents’

Barrhead Travel boss Bill Munro has emerged as the man most likely to head a new agent’s lobby group being set up to campaign against EU moves to increase the scope of the Package Travel Directive.

The group, which is being launched by online travel agents led by On Holiday Group chief executive Steve Endacott, is keen to gain the support of high street agents, hence the desire to appoint Munro as chairman.

"The OTAs are seen as the enemy but this issue is not just about the OTAs, it affects all travel agents," he said.

Munro, whose business has close to 40 high street shops plus an online presence, said he would consider stepping up to the role of chairman.

"I was at one time involved with the SPAA (Scottish Passenger Agents Association) and I don’t think I’m a committee person, but if there is nobody better to lead this lobby group, I will think about it," he told TravelMole.

"I suspect that ABTA is not necessarily the best association to represent agents’ interests; there are too many other interests within ABTA.

"I think we need a group of people to fight out corner. The reform of the Package Travel Directive is too big an issue to leave others to represent us. If ABTA wanted to take up the cudgels on our behalf, once we have reached some form of agreement and its position is the same as ours, then fantastic, but if our position is different to ABTA’s then we will go it alone."

He said if Hays Travel and Midcounties Co-op could be persuaded to join the lobby group it would have enough clout to start lobbying the EU.

"I’m sure John Hays (head of Hays Travel) and Alistair Rowland (group general manager of Midcounties Co-op) will be interested," he added.

He said other independent agents were welcome to join.

Endacott and Travel Republic CEO Kane Pirie said they were talking to Munro and other agents attending this year’s Travel Convention in Turkey to garner support.

"We want to be clear, we are not leaving ABTA," said Endacott. "We have spent years building up ABTA, it is really the only effective trade association we have got we are not going to leave it to the tour operators. We are trying to get ABTA to champion travel agents but we realise there is a conflict of interest within ABTA.

"There are two other lobby groups within ABTA – the FTO and the IATO – and we will be a third, the Association of Travel Agents."

The group has yet to appoint a lobbyist.  Endacott said ABTA head of public affairs Luke Pollard, the link between the Association and the EU, was a great lobbyist. "He’s a nuclear missile – but at the moment he’s pointing in the wrong direction."

by Linsey McNeill