Independent agents warned to be selective in choice of suppliers

Report by Jeremy Skidmore

AIRTOURS specialist holidays managing director Matthew Cheetham has warned independent agents to be more selective in their choice of suppliers, and improve bookings for them.

At the MidConsort convention in Cyprus, he said it was inevitable that operators would start to ‘cherry pick’ the best agents from consortia to work with.

“The emergence of consortia such as MidConsort has increased the negotiating power of agents,” he said.

But he warned: “In return for good commissions and appropriate business support, in terms of access to stock and brochures, tour operators need to see improved productivity, otherwise their cost of sale goes up.”

He added: “Specialist tour operators need independent agents and vice versa. It’s all about recognising our relative strengths and playing to them. It is fair to say that good independent agents are far more productive at selling specialist holidays than multiples.”