Report by Lisa James
FIRST Choice Group chief executive Peter Long has hit out at
Internet start-ups that sell travel, calling them parasites.
Speaking at this year’s ABTA convention in Kos, Long said
most start-ups would be short lived and were fronted by people who had no idea
how to run a business.
He said: “Nine months ago us old-economy companies were all
going to die because wee were all going to be taken over by the Internet
companies.
“The whole thing is just a complete nonsense. Some of the
business plans of Internet start-ups are unbelievable – these guys must be
smoking dope when they put them together. There is no foreseeable reason why
they are going to work. They are wasting their time.”
He added: “These parasites are coming into our industry
and adding absolutely no value whatsoever.”