Comment: Travel's ability to evolve is its strength

Speaking at this week’s Travel Convention in Majorca, Abta chief executive Mark Tanzer talked about the continually evolving travel trade landscape, with some “giant oaks” having disappeared, but others growing in their place.

That sense of flux has been evident recently with the demise of trade favourite Classic Collection set against the ongoing rise of brands with agents in their sights, including Travcorp Holdings and easyJet holidays, which further boosted its Atol after five years of trade sales.

As The Travel Network Group chief executive Gary Lewis told a Travel Weekly Business Breakfast at the convention, the importance of partnerships is never more evident than in times of pressure.

And with speakers acknowledging the industry faces a challenging period ahead, Gary urged suppliers to prioritise consistency of support to ensure those partnerships continue to be mutually beneficial.

Mark highlighted some of the macro challenges facing the sector, and it was fitting that the convention returned to a host destination that has done much to address some of those challenges and create a more sustainable offering. The fact Spanish tourism bosses saw a slight dip in peak season arrivals as a positive tells you much about their thinking, with growth in shoulder-season arrivals offsetting that drop and stretching the season for the benefit of all.

Our industry continually evolves to thrive and is markedly different from the one that gathered for the last Majorca convention 14 years ago. With great challenges come great opportunities.

Comment originally from Travel Weekly, October 9 edition