talking shop IN THE NEWS Robert Broad Travel is top agency


BY LAURA GELDER Robert Broad Travel was recognised


as AITO's top-performing agent at an All-Star Awards evening last month. The Lichfield-based team recorded the


highest sales of AITO tour operator holidays in 2010, as part of the ‘Lucy’s League Table’ scheme which positions agencies according to the value of their sales each month. The team received their prize at the


AITO Agents’ Domestic Conference. It includes a Red Letter Day voucher for each member of staff and a luxury eight- night holiday to South Africa for one member, courtesy of Visions Holiday Group.


Director of sales, Nathan Collins


commented: “We’ve really pulled out all the stops to maximise sales of operators' products during the past year and it’s a real boost for the team’s


efforts to be acknowledged with this new award. 2011 has got off to a great start too so we’re hoping to maintain that momentum.” In descending order, the runners up


were Travellers World in Salisbury, Beaver Travel in Radlett, Haslemere Travel, Deva Travel in Chester and Howard Travel in Trowbridge. www.aitoagents.com


Unite this March AITO agents fly the kitemark Agents and tour operators will have


the chance to ‘re-Unite’ this March with representatives from the Indian Ocean, Africa, the Middle East, Pacific and Australasia, at the annual meetings events in London. The third Unite Indian Ocean, Africa &


Middle East takes place on Monday March 7 2011, sponsored by Selling Long Haul and supported by ATTA and SATOA. The fifth Unite Pacific & Australasia will take place on Tuesday March 15 2011, sponsored by Tourism Fiji and Selling Long Haul. Both are located at the Mermaid Conference & Events Centre in Blackfriars. The event is a chance for UK and European-based tour operators to hold pre-booked, one-to-one meetings with a selection of tourist boards, hoteliers, representation companies, airlines, ground handlers and car hire companies. There is no cost for ‘buyers’, whilst exhibitors must pay £240, plus VAT. Appointments, made in advance of the event, are made directly between the buyer and exhibitor. Refreshments and lunch are included. For further information or to register your request to participate, please contact Debbie Flannagan: debbie.flannagan@ unitepromotions.co.uk www.unitepromotions.co.uk


60 February 2011 • www.sellinglonghaul.com AITO Specialist


Travel Agents has launched a new logo which is based on the 'kitemark'


concept of quality assurance. Unveiled at the AITO Agents 10th


annual Domestic Conference last month, the logo features a symbolic tick intending to be an affirmation of the group’s quality holidays and reliable client service. Besides appearing in agents’


literature, on their websites, the logo will be used in a new annual membership


window sticker scheme: a year-dated sticker which must be displayed to reassure customers they are visiting an AITO Specialist Travel Agent. This follows the recent introduction of


AITO Assured, the new financial protection logo for AITO operators. Derek Moore, AITO Chairman, comments: “With snow, volcanic ash and other issues it makes sense to have a trusted logo. AITO Assured is likely to become the industry gold standard for protection and quality and reinforce AITO’s customer service credentials." www.aitoagents.com


Accessible Travel Made Easy (www.accessibletravelmadeeasy. com) is a free online training course aimed at travel agents, tour operators and other frontline travel industry staff. ABTA has worked in partnership


with the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) to develop this engaging, interactive course, which provides an overview of what is meant by inclusive or accessible travel. Through gaining this knowledge,


industry staff can provide excellent service to the large number of customers with mobility issues. This course provides a step-by-


step guide for ABTA members, covering the whole customer journey, with facts, quotes and case studies to help the user understand how to identify a customer’s needs. The aim of the training is to help


the industry to understand a wide range of disabilities and how simple changes to behaviours and procedures can give all your customers access to a positive travelling experience from the point-of-sale to their return. To sign up to the course visit www. accessibletravelmadeeasy.com. ABTA offers a number of free


The Kiwi Experience is celebrating its 21st birthday


this year, with some new celebratory t-shirts and an offer of 35 per cent off early bookings for the Full Monty, Whole Kit & Caboodle and Kitchen Sink passes of the hop-on, hop-off bus tour. Pictured from left to right is STA branch manager Mark Oldfield, Kiwi Experience account manager Keith Marsh and STA sales consultants Rowan Barnfield, Andrew Miller and Bo Chan.


Strictly Come Dancing star Brendan Cole surprised shoppers at the Kuoni store in Bristol last month. The Kiwi star took a break from rehearsing for his show Live and Unjudged, currently showing in the city, to pop in to chat to customers about his native New Zealand. The event showcased the New Zealand holiday in The Kuoni ‘Get more from your holiday, take less from your bank account’ sale.


online training tools. All about ABTA (www.allaboutabta.com) gives you an understanding of ABTA and financial protection. Make Travel Greener (www. maketravelgreener.com) provides an understanding of sustainability in relation to the travel industry and Every Child, Everywhere (www. everychildeverywhere.com) helps the industry to understand and develop policies relating to child protection in the travel industry. Visit www.abta.com/resources/ training, for more information. For any questions about ABTA’s


professional development and training programmes contact Vicki Wolf on vwolf@abta.co.uk.


Tourism comment ABTA


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68