Report by Lydia Wilson
TRAVEL Weekly has launched a campaign in support of agents
who are depicted as “moronic, parasitic parrots” in the latest series of Direct
Holidays advertisements.
The Stop Knocking Agents campaign calls for parent company
Airtours to scrap the month-long £1 million advertising drive, which also
suggests agents offer the public no value. The advertisements will appear on
ITV and Satellite channels and have been sanctioned by Airtours, even though the
company owns 729 Going Places shops and 138 Travelworld branches. Ironically,
Direct Holidays has 17 of its own agencies but they only sell the company’s
products.
Agents have responded furiously to Direct Holidays’ actions.
Martin Ison, managing director of Warwickshire-based Wide Horizon Travel, said
the advert was causing widespread damage to agent reputations and he plans to
canvas colleagues nationwide on a boycott of Airtours.
“We are depicted as parroting information,” he said. “They’re
making us look like dumbos. I’m so appalled that Airtours could sanction such a
campaign – a lot of the e-mails I have received from the trade are questioning
whether they will support them in future.
“Even if it was cancelled now it would be too little too
late. Friends outside the industry are shocked we could be treated like this.”
ABTA is thought to be outraged by the campaign and a
spokesman said it was considering action to have the campaign withdrawn.
But Direct Holidays marketing director Robin Parry defended
the campaign. He said: “It is understandable that agents are not happy, but I
don’t feel the advert is derogatory.”
Airtours UK chief executive Richard Carrick said the
campaign was appropriate for the market Direct Holidays is operating in and described
it as “high impact advertising.”
* The front page of this week’s Travel Weekly newspaper
features a letter which agents can sign to show they are unhappy with the Direct
Holidays campaign. Travel Weekly will forward all signed letters to Airtours
UK. You can also fax a response on 020 8652 3956 or email: Jeremy.skidmore@rbi.co.uk.