ABTA chairman John McEwan has put the key industry concerns of gaining the government’s ear and ending confusion about consumer protection at the top of his agenda. But how will he approach the job?
McEwan concedes there is a degree of disquiet among ABTA members, represented by the 46% vote for Daniele Broccoli, his opponent in the ABTA chairmanship election.
“Certainly, there is a perception that the views of independent agents are not heard,” said McEwan. “I’m not sure how real it is, but this is an opportunity to look at the process. It will help that I chair ABTA’s Council of Regions. I aim to ensure views are carried forward from the council.”
McEwan believes he can help forge unity as chairman. “I hope I was seen as a unity candidate,” he said. “My background is in the retail business, but I have worked for vertically integrated companies [TUI UK and Thomas Cook], and I have worked for independent agents at Advantage for five years.”
He dismisses concerns about a conflict between his role at ABTA and his position as chief executive at Advantage. “Probably 25% of independent agents in ABTA are Advantage members, and the challenges they face are similar to those facing Worldchoice members. Whatever I can do to help will help all independent agents,” he said.
But the new chairman does expect the ABTA board to show unity now the election is past. “A good debate is healthy, but there has to be unity,” said McEwan. “We may have different opinions, but we should not show any divisiveness. Board members have a legal obligation to the entire membership.”
He said he was looking forward to working with chief executive Mark Tanzer and the ABTA team, adding: “I will be spending quite a bit of time with Mark. Relations between chairman and chief executive have to be productive.”
So will we notice a change in the association? “If anything, you will see that I like transparent communication, and I am looking forward to the first Council of Regions to get feedback from members.
“You will probably see more of me in the media. I will be commenting on issues and looking at how we move lobbying forward. But it is not my job to run ABTA. It is important to distinguish between the role of chairman and chief executive. It is Mark’s job to run the business. I see my role as supportive.”
There will be no quick fix on lobbying. “It is clear we do not have the ear of government,” said McEwan.
“We need to convey how important the outbound industry is to the economy – the number of people it employs; the amount of tax paid. I am not sure we have used the arguments to good effect in the past.
There is the prospect the government will change between now and next May, and we need to address the key figures.
“There are areas where we could co-operate with bodies such as VisitBritain, and we should be working with the airlines as regards Air Passenger Duty.
“We have to be consistent in approach and build relations. My view is you need a level of experience to do that. I am not sure how long it will take, but I see it as a priority.”
McEwan will also be reaching out to other trade bodies. “I will be having a broad dialogue with TTA Worldchoice and I have good relations with Travel Counsellors. The more we can engage the better. ABTA is in a good position to move things forward on behalf of all independent members.”
Ian Taylor interviewed John McEwan for Travel Weekly’s sister magazine Travolution