The Atas chairman and APT UK and Europe managing director spoke to Travel Weekly about the association’s plans for 2019
Q. How have you found your first six months as chairman?
A. It’s been fantastic and I’m delighted to be leading a sector that is driving growth within the travel industry. Having spent nearly 20 years working in touring, it has been incredible to watch it become stronger in terms of awareness and bookings – and also to witness so many more agents engaging with touring and adventure holidays.
Atas now has 28 full supplier members, 22 associate members and more than 1,000 registered agents, with more signing up every day. One of my highlights was our annual conference last October, when we had more than 200 agents and 26 suppliers join us in Birmingham. The conference was packed with education and fun, and we highlighted a large spike in touring and adventure holidays being booked through the trade. We predict that by 2020, 44% of our bookings will come through travel agents, and it’s this engagement that has allowed the sector to develop into its own specialist area for agents.
Q. What’s in store for Atas?
A. There is so much on the horizon. We will of course be hosting our third annual conference this autumn, and I can exclusively reveal that this year it will be a two-day event and will be held in Manchester. The conference is set to be bigger and better, so watch this space for our official announcement next month. We are also delighted that the conference will now sit alongside four new Atas Connects events up and down the country throughout the year.
Agent engagement and recognising and rewarding our trade partners is essential to making sure Atas delivers for the sector, so we are also really pleased to be working with Travel Weekly on two new accolades for this year’s Agent Achievement Awards – one for the Touring and Adventure Agency of the Year and one for our Atas Ambassador of the Year.
As well as these great events and awards, we have also formed a new advisory panel, which will identify first-hand the requirements, challenges and needs facing agents who are selling touring and adventure. This will enable the Atas team and me to ensure the right tools are in place to support agents on the frontline.
Q. Trading updates have been mixed across the industry. How are Atas members faring?
A. There is no doubt that 2019 has not been as buoyant as previous years, but the majority of Atas members have reported a strong start to the year with an increase in agent bookings for their products. Long-haul destinations in Asia and the Middle East are proving to be popular and I’ve seen that within my own company. With Abta’s Travel Convention and the Rugby World Cup taking place in Japan this year, I can see momentum there continuing, and Jordan and Egypt are leading a strong performance in the Middle East.
Q. You’ve mentioned how pleased you are about growth in trade sales. Do you think agents are recognising the benefits of touring and adventure?
A. With change comes opportunity and I believe this is a great time for agents to tap into the touring and adventure sector. However, we don’t expect that to happen on its own, and as individual brands and members of Atas we need to ensure agents are well‑informed about the products on offer and the benefits of booking touring and adventure products.
Q. Do you see agents’ knowledge and conversion improving?
A. Once armed with the right information, agents can harness their knowledge and turn this into bookings. We are in the process of improving and growing our online training offering, and that will stand alongside our events to empower agents to continuously develop their expertise and keep up to date with sector developments.
I can see 2019 as being a bit of a mystery year as the wider backdrop makes trends harder to identify. However, the UK market is resilient and holidays are no longer an indulgence. People still want to escape the stresses of everyday life – so it’s our job to make sure they choose a touring or adventure holiday to do just that.
More: Register for Atas Connects events in Newcastle, Sheffield, Birmingham and Romford