| Journal: TWUK | Section: |
| Title: | Issue Date: 15/05/00 |
| Author: | Page Number: 53 |
| Copyright: Other |
Domestic holiday bookings
ABTA teams up with ETC to launch agents’ training manual
Report by LINSEY McNEILL
ABTA and the English Tourism Council have launched their first ever training manual to help travel agents increase their share of domestic holiday sales.Some 5,000 copies of the manual will be available free to agents, with priority going to those who have a track record in selling domestic holidays. The manual consists of 11 modules, which cover holiday destinations across England, Scotland and Wales. It includes information on attractions, natural attributes, local activities and the types of tourism products available, plus details of the major tour operators for each destination.
ETC head of training and business support Richard Allen said the manual, which is expected to become a bible for UK agents, was designed as a business tool to help boost their earning potential from the sale of domestic holidays.
“It is an oversight that nothing like this has been done before,” said Allen. “Other destinations around the world have been doing these things but there has been nothing similar for Britain.
“Agents are under a lot of pressure to develop their business from all sorts of different sources but ABTA and the ETC believe this manual will help them develop their domestic business,” added Allen.
He said he envisaged one member of staff from each agency would study the manual, which would then be used for reference. The manual, which has takentwo years to complete, has been put together by the ETC and ABTA with contributions from the Scottish and Welsh tourist boards.
Additional copies will be available for a fee. Allen said the manual may be revised in the future.
All at sea: the new training guide will help agents to improve sales for home-grown attractions such as HMS Victory in Portsmouth