THE
Scottish Passenger Agents Association has issued a stark warning to the trade
to stop internal warfare and work together in the future.
President
Willie Stewart said a basic lack of trust meant agents and operators were
locked in an ongoing “war” and not able to respond properly to market
conditions.
In
a speech to senior industry figures at the SPAA annual dinner in Glasgow last
night, Stewart said: “When responsibilities are ignored or even cynically
manipulated, we have a travel sector engaged in internal war, squandering
potential profit with suicidal discounting, and too self-absorbed to
effectively respond to market conditions.”
He
said too much time was wasted fighting each other rather than working as
partners.
“Agents
do not trust principal operators and they do not want to understand agents.
Trust and understanding are basic elements. When they are met, we will have a
vibrant, profitable and equitable travel sector,” he added.
But
Stewart also urged fellow agents to fight off operators’ attempts to grab more
direct business.
He
accused operators, airlines, ferry companies, hotels and bus companies of using
the age-old excuse the “the world has changed” to grab more direct business.
While
the change in relationships between agents and operators was unprecedented, he
said the service offered in stores would stand any onslaught from suppliers’
attempts to undermine it. “The SPAA will never give up the fight to stop
principals using your offices, your staff, your brochure racks to communicate
their direct message to customers that come to your offices,” said Stewart.