THE survival of the independent travel agent is going to depend on one person. It’s not ABTA, not the tour operator or travel agency, but the most important person in our industry – the customer.
It is a fact that the customer does not know who owns who. It is also a fact that to survive the independent has to belong to a consortium.
It is a fact that belonging to a consortium does give up a small proportion of our independence. But the one important fact is that an independent does give good unbiased help and opinion to the most important person – the customer. Iask all independents to rally round and make sure that they keep the opinion of the independent as the most important fixture at your ABTAregional meetings. Change is going to happen and we need to make sure independent agents play an important part in the debates on ABTA’s future.
Barrie Harthern, Astley Bridge, Travel Worldchoice, Bolton