| Journal: TWUK | Section: |
| Title: | Issue Date: 07/08/00 |
| Author: | Page Number: 10 |
| Copyright: Other |
Racking space should have lots of variety
In your report (Travel Weekly July 24) of the CARTAConference in Maastricht, you quoted me as saying we cannot afford to rack the vertically integrated operators and that we need the big tour companies as AITO operators do not have the seat capacity.My actual words were: “Let us be realistic. All agents need access to the mass-market products whether it is for a charter flight or an inclusive package. But the big four need us just as much, recognising that the superior expertise and product knowledge of most independents will continue to attract discerning clients.”
However, racking space is very valuable and a variety of product needs to be on display. The difficulty for independent agents is to decide how much they can afford to display and sell the independent tour operators products, which are a relatively small percentage of annual turnover, if this means showing less support for the larger preferred suppliers or their consortium. My heart is with the specialists but my head has learned to work with all the suppliers that provide the product to suit my client’s needs.
AITOmembers provide the quality and the product knowledge that lies closest to the independent agent’s philosophy.
Andrew Brownrigg
Haslemere Travel
Surrey