By Ella Sagar and Juliet Dennis
A national radio debate accusing travel agents of setting and inflating prices in school holidays has led to a call for a campaign to combat misperceptions about the trade and a pledge by consortia to raise consumer awareness.
The trade vented its frustration on Thursday following a debate on Jeremy Vine’s BBC Radio 2 show which repeatedly blamed agents for “hiking prices in the school holidays”.
Abta communications officer Sean Tipton and Henbury Travel managing director Richard Slater appeared on the show the following day to address callers’ comments, which went uncontested by Vine.
More: Abta defends agencies and school holiday prices on Jeremy Vine show
The show led to a plea by Graeme Brett, co-founder of agent action group Target, for a specific Abta-led campaign to raise awareness of the role as well as the benefits of booking through agents, noting “a huge lack of understanding” in the media.
Both The Travel Network Group and The Advantage Travel Partnership agreed there was still a job to do to educate consumers about the role of agents.
Gary Lewis, chief executive at The Travel Network, said: “It is important to remember that travel agents are not setting the prices. They are using their expertise to find the right holiday, at the right price, for their customers – securing special offers, free child places and identifying alternative travel dates or destinations to help ease the financial burden for parents.”
The consortium was this week set to launch a “mini marketing campaign” to “reinforce” the value of booking through reputable agents.
Advantage chief executive Julia Lo Bue-Said said the discussion highlighted “a common misconception” and “age-old debate” about travel agents setting prices.
She stressed the consortium would “continue to work hard to amplify the voice of the travel community” and “reinforce” the service and value of independent agents.
Abta said it had relaunched its Travel with Confidence campaign on Boxing Day, encouraging people to look for the Abta logo when booking.
Tipton told Vine agents were not responsible for setting holiday prices, saying: “We will always recommend agents as they provide a valued service.”
Speaking after his radio appearance, Slater also highlighted a lack of “real” agents on national media debates to explain their role, with travel journalists or consumer protection experts instead often being asked to comment.