INDUSTRY leaders have called for emergency communication
guidelines to be introduced across the trade following the tsunami
tragedy.
Operators are concerned about difficulties encountered
contacting customers after the disaster because some agents holding
vital contact numbers of holidaymakers and relatives remained
closed over the Christmas holidays.
Now ABTA is calling on the trade to suggest a new set of good
practice guidelines. At a Council of Regions meeting this week,
members flagged up the problem of accessing details for flight-only
customers in tsunami-affected regions.
Kuoni managing director Sue Biggs said: “The only problem
we’ve had was our inability to get hold of clients because
travel agents were closed.”
Biggs called on agents to consider supplying operators with
customers’ phone numbers when they book. She denied they
would be used to poach customers.
Similarly, First Choice was unable to contact six customers in
Florida – when their charter flight was delayed for 31 hours
following the decision to redirect it to deliver aid to the
Maldives – because the agency the clients had booked with was
closed.
MD UK distribution John Wimbleton agreed having customers’
phone numbers would help in emergencies.
AITO chairman Richard Hearn said operators needed a central list
of out-of-hours contacts of agents and backed Biggs’ call for
customer details. “There’s no question operators would
respect the spirit in which phone numbers were given,” he said.
TUI UK commercial and retail director Derek Jones said TUI
already requires all independent agents to provide emergency
numbers.
ABTA chief executive Ian Reynolds added: “I can’t believe
agents were not able to provide contact details for reasons of data
security.”
Although an ABTA database of emergency out-of-hours agent phone
numbers was created around eight years ago, it fizzled out because
it was never used.
ABTA said it is now considering creating good-practice
guidelines. Possibilities include a standard form for agents to
fill out which gives client contact details.
Advantage supported the move. MD John McEwan said: “We’d
be strong advocates of drawing up best-practice guidelines so
operators and retailers can work together in emergencies.”
But some agents remain unconvinced of operators’ motives.
AITO specialist travel agents chairman Andrew Brownrigg said: “So
many operators go behind agents’ backs to offer deals direct
to customers.”
Midconsort chief executive Charles Eftichiou said: “There is a
lot of mistrust from agents towards operators. But we could do with
sharing information.”