New SPAA president Alan Glen vows to keep up high street fight

Alan Glen, the new president of the Scottish Passenger Agents’ Association (SPAA), has vowed to fight for the interests of the high street in the face of competition from online giants, while warning politicians against treating retailers like “cash cows”.

The director of agency Glen Travel, who took over from Barrhead Travel chief Jacqueline Dobson last week, said politicians “lack the appetite” to place a greater tax burden on multinational corporations.

“The high street has been pillaged by companies such as Amazon who have taken over in the retail sector,” he added.

He said many retail businesses, including those in the travel sector, continue to struggle with the level of employers’ national insurance, which was increased in April.

“It’s a taxation on employment,” he said. “How many more people would be employed if that money was available to the companies [instead of being paid to the government]?”

He added: “Looking at the high street and its demise, I’ll be banging that drum quite hard as part of my remit because I think in some ways we’ve been viewed as cash cows that [the government] can keep taking from, rather than giving to.”

Other priorities will include campaigning against direct taxes on the travel sector, including the Scottish government’s proposed cruise levy, as well as pushing for greater airlift.

He welcomed the addition of more transatlantic services during Dobson’s tenure and highlighted ongoing efforts to boost links with London.

“That’s something we’re working on with British Airways, because that has suffered quite a bit – the Gatwick services in particular,” he said.

On the outlook for 2026, he said demand appears “quite strong” and pointed to the long-haul and cruise sectors as among those performing well.

“It seems to be buoyant, as long as we don’t get anything [unwelcome] thrown our way,” he said.

Dobson described reaching the end of her term as “bittersweet”, hailing a “really good two  years”.

She cited the introduction of a new course at City of Glasgow College designed to help people move into the sector, with another achievement being the creation of supplier groups aimed at gathering advice to improve agent relations.

She also highlighted lobbying efforts intended to “raise the profile” of the industry and pointed to the establishment of partnerships with groups including the Scottish Chambers of Commerce.