AGENTS vented their anger on the major operators, accusing them of turning their backs on the trade in favour of direct sales.
They argued that stock is deliberately withheld from agents and sold at a cheaper price direct to the public.
The views, expressed during ABTA’s Hot Topic session, sparked a heated debate between agents and operators.
Airtours sales, marketing and development director Ed Sims and Thomson sales director Manuel Mascarenhas bore the brunt of the attack, which prompted angry responses from both companies. “We do not hold stock back. All of it is available to agents,” said Sims.
First Choice group managing director Dermot Blastland also refuted the claims that some holidays are unavailable for agents to book.
“I am not aware of that happening and if it has I don’t know why,” he said.
“We work very closely with agents. We didn’t have one shop of our own until recently so what do what do you think we’ve done in the past decade?”
Scottish Passenger Agents Association president Val Foylan accused Thomson of failing to talk to agents.
But Mascarenhas said: “We have held several meetings with Preferred Agents up and down the country. We are talking to agents.”