Travel agents are confused about the future of Triton after it was revealed it is to become a pressure group for the independent sector and ditch its role as a joint buying organisation.
Consortia members Advantage, Global Travel Group and Worldchoice announced at the Triton conference in Palma, Majorca, that they will now negotiate with suppliers separately.
Directors maintained the group would still play a key role and unveiled plans to talk to agency groups such as Travel Counsellors, Hays Travel and Freedom Travel Agents’ Consortium to lobby on issues such as web pricing on behalf of the independent sector.
It will also seek a seat on the ABTA board and has approached the association’s chief executive Mark Tanzer for a meeting.
Outgoing Triton chairman Colin Heal said plans to increase the number of seats on ABTA’s board from nine to 12 following news of its merger with the Federation of Tour Operators would leave independents with only 15% of the votes.
He said: “Since Triton represents the largest church of independent agents there is a strong case.”
However, South West Independent Federation of Travel Agents chairman Roger Hawke said: “As a group we are frustrated because Triton hasn’t even mentioned the future.”
Swifta member Wickers World Travel partner Brian Wick admitted he was concerned Triton could “fall apart” because it was no longer a commercial buying group.
Homeworking group Holiday Experts has even threatened to leave Global Travel Group. Commercial manager John Sullivan, a Global Independent Option member, said: “I am not sure what Triton as a combined force is about. There is no real incentive to stay.”
The company is considering the Freedom Travel Agents’ Consortium or may go it alone as an independent agency.
Speculation of a £10 million deal by Stella Travel Services to buy Advantage has been denied by both organisations.
Advantage chief executive John McEwan said the consortium – already the largest seller of Stella-owned Travel 2/4 in the UK – hopes to thrash out longer-term commercial deals to sell Stella products.
Triton Conference: what agents said
“This is one of the best conferences I have been to in 15 years. It has been positive and I’ve learnt a great deal from the sessions.”
Bernard Bateman, Ripon Travel, North Yorkshire
“This is my third Triton conference and I’m not sure I’ve learnt anything I didn’t already know. The announcement that it is no longer operating as a joint buying group will not have much of an effect on agents, but the idea of Triton was to work together – there’s no point in carrying on if we don’t. I don’t think there will be a Triton Conference next year.”
Gabi Birbeck, Rendezvous Travel, Little Chalfont, Bucks
“I look at this as a U-turn. I think this weakens Triton. If everyone starts doing separate deals, this is back to where we were years ago.”
Steve Riley, Ashley Adams, Driffield, East Yorkshire
“The supplier deal was inevitable. It’s crazy to have two conventions (Triton and Advantage). I think Advantage members were wary of coming.”
Patrick Doyle, Bawtry Travel, Doncaster, South Yorkshire
- More headlines fromthe Triton Conference 2008