DITHERING ABTA board members have confirmed their
decision to hold this year’s convention in Cairo after Travel Weekly made a
climb-down impossible.
Our revelation that Newman Street was seriously
looking at alternatives to Cairo (Travel Weekly October 22 2001) and the
resulting storm of protest from tour operators forced the board’s hand.
Senior officials at ABTA were worried about tourist
attacks in Cairo after September 11, but have now secured a substantial sum in
insurance cover – believed to be around £30,000 – from the Egyptian government
should the convention have to be cancelled.
ABTA president Stephen Bath said the bad press that
would follow if ABTA reneged on Cairo played a part in its decision.
“It would be shameful and untenable if we were to pull
out,” he said. “What would the national papers say about it if we backed out
but were quite happy to send our clients?”
“The Egyptian government has made us a generous offer
on insurance cover, because if something does happen we stand to lose a lot of
money.”
Bath admitted this year was not going to see record
attendance but thought Cairo would attract the “cream of the crop” in
operating, along with hundreds of agents.
Bales Worldwide has been appointed as travel provider.
Accoladia, the joint Thomas Cook Holidays and British
Airways Holidays venture, dropped out after managing director Simon Laxton left
the company. Registrations for the convention – which runs from October 18-21 –
begin in mid June.
* Stephen Bath has reiterated
his plea for the Government to introduce a fixed levy per ticket to protect
agents against scheduled airline failures. He predicted one UK carrier would
collapse this year.