AITO Specialist Travel Agents chairman Oliver Broad is to step down this summer after four years in the role.
His successor will be announced at the Aito Agents overseas conference in Prague in June and Broad will officially leave the role at the end of August.
Broad said he felt it was the right time for another travel agent to take the helm so that he could concentrate on his own family business and personal life. Broad is director of RB Collection, which includes agency Robert Broad Travel in Lichfield, Staffordshire.
“It’s been the highlight of my career but also the toughest part. I need to put my efforts back into my business and my family, and it just feels like the right time to let someone else have a go,” said Broad, who said he will also be stepping down from the nine-strong Aito Agents panel.
The new chairman will be voted in by the panel, which is made up of five agents and four tour operators. Only an agent can be voted in as chairman. The deputy chairman is a tour operator panel member, with the post currently held by Ted Wake, of Kirker Holidays.
The agents currently on the panel are: Claire Hunt, of Journeys A La Carte; Tracey Carter, of Carrick Travel; Paul Bennett, of Colchester Travel; and Gemma Antrobus, of Haslemere Travel. Agents interested in the role have to put their names forward or be nominated before a vote is held.
Broad admitted his tenure had been difficult, with membership falling to around 99 branches after he took over due to the closures caused by the recession. Membership is now back up to around 123 branches – a similar level to when he took on the chairman post four years ago.
Aito Agents is now in a good position financially, has recently moved offices and is putting together a long-term strategic plan to be unveiled at the Prague conference, said Broad.
He added: “I am really proud of what we have done. A lot of it has been behind the scenes, working through changes in how we get new members and Aito Agents’ office move. Now things are looking up and we have got our house in order and we have laid the foundations for Aito Agents to be taken on to the next level.”
Broad is hoping for around 100 delegates at this year’s conference, split evenly between agent and operator members. The theme for the conference is innovation. Sessions will be held in two cities, Prague and Pilsen.
Members need to book by March 31 to take advantage of special seat rates with British Airways and Jet2.com but land-only bookings for the event will continue to be taken after that date.