ARTAC Worldchoice and Advantage are both battling for seats on the new ABTA board in a free-for-all election involving an unprecedented 13 candidates.
ARTAC chairman Colin Heal lodged an 11th-hour nomination while Advantage board member Roger Waterfall also announced plans to run. Both consortiums have previously argued they should automatically have places on the board.
Heal and Waterfall will join 11 other candidates contesting just three seats on the 18-strong board for grassroot agents. A further two will be elected directly from the Council of Regions.
Current ABTA president Steven Freudmann, aviation committee chairman Sandy MacPherson and St Andrews Travel managing director Andrew Dickson have also entered the fray.
Chief executive Ian Reynolds said: “I can’t recall this number of candidates standing for any ABTA election in the past. It is a healthy response and one of the objectives of the shake-up.”
In the two places for multiples, Thomas Cook commercial director Mike Beaumont and Lunn Poly head of buying Mark Pritchard were the only nominations.
Bath Travel joint managing director Stephen Bath will also be elected unopposed in the band for agents turning over between £50m and £250m.
Ballots, however, will be required for all operator categories.
Of the four places for major companies, John Wimbleton from First Choice, John de Vial from Thomson, Stuart Jackson from Cosmos, Gwyn Hughes from P&O Cruises and Andy Cooper from Airtours have put themselves forward.
“The major companies decided to have one board member representing all parts of the business,” said Reynolds. “This will help operators and agents come closer together.”
Other names standing include John Harding from Travelscene, French Life’s Warren Sandral and former Association of Independent Tour Operators chairman Paul Chandler.