p10-11 Aito Jan22 20/1/10 13:01 Page 10
news conference report
ttglive.com
Aito Specialist Agents
Domestic Conference
16-17 January ■ Warwick Hilton
More than 90 agents and 40 operators attended the Aito
BUSINESS MODEL.
Specialist Agents Domestic Conference. Chris Gray reports
Forte advises charging
HOTEL tycoon Sir Rocco
Airlines pressed on rates
Forte (pictured) believes
British agents should fol-
low those in the US who
charge customers an
AITO IS calculating how much it spends as an Domestic Conference were told it was “making “entry fee” for using their
organisation with airlines to push carriers into life uncomfortable” for the carrier. services.
giving discounts to the group as a whole. Conference moderator Catherine Leech told He said top end agents
The association’s new aviation committee has delegates the committee had been formed should consider imposing
started a survey of all members to find out how because agents were finding it hard to book with an initial fee and an annual retainer to reflect the
much they spend with carriers such as British smaller operators because large companies value of the advice the customer was receiving.
Airways or Air France. could get better rates on airlines. Sir Rocco who was the keynote speaker at the
Committee chairman John Tangey, of Tangey “There is a danger of smaller Aito operators conference, quoted the example of New York City
Tours, said once the results were in they would losing business because they do not have access agent Bill Fisher, who charges a $10,000 entry
be able to present airlines with the total value of to the seats and prices on airlines that larger fee just to take on a client plus a $5,000 annual
Aito bookings. operators get. That’s a real threat,” she said. retainer.
“We want to be able to say to the airlines that Tangey added that the committee hoped that Fisher was dealing with multi-millionaire cus-
Aito members will spend £150 to £200 million Aito operators would also work more closely tomers and the size of his fees could not be
with you in 2010 so we want better deals than together by taking allocations from airlines and copied by most UK agents, but they should find
you are giving us individually at the moment. then selling that on to fellow Aito operators. ways of making customers value their expertise.
That will allow Aito tour operators to give better Aito council member Noel Josephides is also Sir Rocco said 2009 had been an “annus hor-
packages to the agents,” he said. working with Viking Airlines to set up a new ribilus” for the travel trade, including his Rocco
The committee has already had two meetings UK airline to provide extra capacity for smaller Forte Collection luxury hotels, which were up to
with BA, and delegates at the Specialist Agents operators. 40% down on the previous year.
The only properties to buck that trend were in
Edinburgh and London, which had benefited
SELLING TOOL.
from European and American visitors taking ad-
Training site launched
vantage of the weak pound.
AITO has developed a training website for its
specialist agents to learn about operators who
CLIENT RETENTION.
belong to the association.
‘Book through Expedia’
The site, developed with Online Travel Training
(which is a partner with TTG Knowledge College), AGENTS should use Expedia as a way of retaining
is aimed at the 140 Aito specialist travel agents, customers who say they have found packages
but will also be used for in-house programmers cheaper online, delegates were told.
on sustainable tourism and financial protection. Conference moderator Catherine Leech said
In a recent OTT survey, 71% of agents said they some Aito agents had held on to customers by
had sold or recommended a product after taking using Expedia to price match the online price the
part in an online training course. customer had found.
Amrita Singh, Aito council member responsi- The online agent pays low commission to other
ble for training, said the site would help specialist agents who are part of its affiliate scheme, and
agents who struggled to find time for training to Leech said it was worth booking through Expedia
increase their knowledge of destinations and hol- MASTERMIND WINNER: Journeys a la on the client’s behalf rather than losing a sale.
idays. Carte sales consultant Claire Hunt was “It goes against the Aito grain, but if it means
The site allows operators to update and crowned winner of the Aito Specialist retaining that customer it may be worth it.
change their content whenever they want and Travel Agents Mastermind competition Don’t do it for the commission because frankly
add information on new products and brochures. during the conference. it is paltry, do it to retain customers,” she said.
10 22.01.2010
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