The Association of Independent Tour Operators Specialist Travel agents must highlight their membership of the association more to drive business.
Speaking at the opening of this year’s Aito Sta conference in Majorca, chairman Barry Moxley said the brand was well recognised in the UK and also guaranteed 100% financial protection for bookings made through Aito operators.
However, he said member agents were failing to capitalise on this with just a small sticker on the door advertising the association which often failed to catch the consumer’s attention.
Moxley said: “We should be using more of the Aito logo as it’s a very respected brand and we have to make the most of the opportunity.
“Why should we use a little logo on the window? We are looking at having Aito strips along the window which we think would bring us extra business.”
He added agents were already seeing the return of customers who had long ago moved to booking their holidays online thanks to the volcanic ash cloud.
“The dynamic packaging brigade and the non-financially protected have lost a considerable amount of money,” Moxley said.
“Because of the safety we provide the consumers are abandoning their dynamic packaging habit and are coming back to us tour operators and travel agents.”
He added the Aito brand would also be further boosted by Aito week which will be held in October this year to drive bookings through the association’s members and which should receive national press coverage.
Moxley also urged agent members to remember their strengths when competing with multiple agencies.
“Most of them come from the pile ‘em high, sell ‘em cheap model,” he said.
“Our customers come from the less price-sensitive bit of the market and you can then add value (when making a booking).”