NEWS — HOT STORIES 2 Alison


Holmes: joins Midcounties this summer


Midcounties in recruitment drive as Holmes takes role


Juliet Dennis


Midcounties Co-operative Travel is embarking on its most aggressive recruitment drive to date following the appointment of Alison Holmes as head of its consortium. Alistair Rowland, group general manager, said the Co-op Consortium


now aimed to more than double its membership to around 75 agencies by the end of next year. In its first year the consortium attracted 26 members and achieved turnover of almost £100 million. “It’s the first time we have been aggressive in recruitment. We have


acquired Alison to grow the consortium and we are fully committed to the consortium model,” he said. Holmes, head of Thomas Cook-owned


Freedom Travel Group and The Co-operative Personal Travel Advisors, joins Midcounties in three months’ time. Her decision has fuelled speculation that some of Freedom’s larger members may jump ship to Midcounties. Several members are understood to have served notice to leave Freedom. Rowland would not comment but admitted there had been “serious


interest” from potential new members. “There has been significant interest since our news to appoint Alison,” he said. He predicted agents would switch consortia as a result of the CAA’s


requirement for Atol-accredited bodies, of which Freedom is one, to set up trust accounts by yesterday’s (May 1) deadline. “Because consortium operators will no longer have the cash, as it will be tied up in a trust fund, the costs of being a consortium member are likely to go up and there is likely to be more movement,” he said. The CAA said all accredited bodies were expected to meet the trust


requirements this week. Cook confirmed it had agreed an “interim” arrangement with the CAA, which both parties “were happy with”.


Healey: Freedom wounded by uncertainty over future


Lee Hayhurst and Juliet Dennis


A founder of the Freedom Travel Group claimed the agency consortium was “being wounded by the hour” as speculation continued over its future earlier this week. Peter Healey, owner of Vertical Group, whose companies account


for a third of Freedom’s gross turnover, spoke after Midcounties Co-operative Travel poached Freedom head Alison Holmes to lead the Co-op Consortium.


It is understood Midcounties was previously the frontrunner to


acquire the whole consortium from Thomas Cook, though Cook and the Co-op group have refused to comment. Joanna Wild, managing director of Thomas


Cook Retail, sought to allay members’ fears by saying it was “business as normal”, but Healey said the situation was “proving to be a shambles”. He added: “It’s our businesses that are


apparently being disposed of. There’s been a consistent lack of information which has


driven some people to resign already. We’re waiting for someone to talk to us; we’ve not got a clue about what’s going on.” Freedom members have to give six months’ notice to quit, but


Healey thought a sell-off could trigger an early-release clause. “Whoever gets it won’t get it all,” he said. “It’s very sad to see it being wounded by the hour.” Other members said Holmes would be “greatly missed” and said


they were considering their futures. Quartz Travel owner Paul Smith said Cook had taken its “eye off the ball”, adding: “It’s a mess. If Freedom has no members left there’ll be nothing to sell.” Wild said in an email to members: “You have my commitment that


I will keep you updated with news of Alison’s successor but in the meantime it’s very much business as normal for us all.”


1 May 2014 — travelweekly.co.uk • 5 3


Peter Healey: ‘Some people


have resigned already’


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