McEwan hits back at Triton

Advantage boss John McEwan has accused Global chief executive and Triton director Andrew Botterill of being “highly unprofessional” and having “a fit of pique” following a Board Meeting today.

McEwan said a press statement released by Triton after the meeting this morning (see earlier Travelmole Newsflash) was “highly inaccurate”.

The statement announced the departure of Advantage Travel Centres from the group and the “removal” of McEwan from the Triton chair.

But McEwan said it was not true that Advantage had been given a month’s notice to leave the group, nor that he had been forced to stand down as chairman.

Instead, he said it was Advantage’s decision to leave Triton because it did not feel it was commercially beneficial to stay a member.

“I wrote to the Triton shareholders on August 27 to advise them that Advantage would be resigning from the end of the year, when our contract expires,” he explained.

“In the letter, I also said that it was in nobody’s interest for us to hang around and, if possible, we would like to exit as soon as possible.”

He said at the Board Meeting today, it had been agreed “amicably” that Advantage should leave and that four weeks was a reasonable notice period “to wrap things up”.

“It is not true that we were given a month’s notice, and it is not true that I have been removed from the chair. I stepped down,” he added.

“I can only assume it was a fit of pique by Andrew Botterill to have put out this statement to the press, which was obviously prepared before the meeting. It is riddled with inaccuracies.

“It is highly unprofessional and the way he has acted has reinforced my belief that the decision we made was absolutely the right one.”

McEwan said the trouble had started because Advantage had not agreed with the other Triton members that they should negotiate collectively.

“Advantage is strong enough and powerful enough to negotiate individually,” he said.

“Triton products are not owned. They are Global’s. Triton doesn’t sell anything and we could see no value in staying in.”

McEwan had also upset other Triton members by telling Advantage agents it was more important for them to go to their own conference than to attend the Triton one.

By Bev Fearis