Variety spiced up Kos convention’s speakers

Comment

Variety spiced up Kos convention’s speakers

AFTER a very poor show in Cairns, the ABTAconvention in Kos was the best anyone can ever remember. The business sessions were focused on issues that really mattered to agents and suppliers.

Industry leaders were outspoken and honest when it would have been easier to play the corporate line. First Choice group chief executive Peter Long spoke for many when he attacked some of the Internet start-ups and Airtours UKLG and distribution managing director Richard Carrick talked about improvements that needed to be made to holidays.

Outside speakers also made a world of difference – I don’t know what Waterstone’s founder Tim Waterstone or Kwik-Fit founder Sir Tom Farmer were paid to come to Kos but it was money well spent.

Well done ABTA and its organising committee and lets hope more agents will come next year. By the way, Carrick has had some unfair stick for our holiday whingers story. We wrote a fair and accurate piece that we subsequently pushed out to a wider media. Some interpreted this as Carrick saying all customers are whingers and that Airtours won’t pay compensation. He didn’t say that. He said he would get tough with those who try it on. It’s a shame more people haven’t backed him. He talks a lot of sense and the irony is that Carrick’s passion is customer focus and the quality of Airtours holidays under him has improved immensely.

Jeremy Skidmore – editor