“I had the Chanel winter collection delivered to my hospital
bedside after I gave birth: this is a 24-hour career for me” CAROLINE STANBURY, PERSONAL STYLIST, FOUNDER GIFT-LIBRARY, TTGLUXURY SEMINAR, P18
HIGH STREET CAMPAIGN
Minister revs up campaign to preserve free parking in town
BUSINESS MINISTER Norman Lamb has praised TTGfor highlighting parking issues in town centres. It comes after a travel agent and
local business leader championed parking issues in Norfolk as part of TTG’s Trust in Travel Agents: Backing our British high streets campaign. Nicholas Lee, owner of Broadland
Travel in North Walsham, has got behind the campaign after his district council proposed devastating changes to local parking schemes. The agent, who is also the vice- chairman of the town’s chamber of trade, has played an active part in petitioning the North Norfolk District Council against its plans to scrap free parking in the town. He said the proposal had been passed despite strong opposition, and that he believes customers will now abandon shopping in the town. “We already have very limited street parking and as soon as the
council proposed this move, customers were telling me that they would have to go and shop in other towns instead because of the added costs of parking in town,” he said. “It is so frustrating. They haven’t listened to the people at all.” Lamb, who is also Lee’s local MP said: “I am delighted that TTGis raising the issue and encouraging councils to think about more innovative ways to encourage people
ATOL REFORM
Abta appeals to delay Agency Agreements date
ABTA IS appealing to the Department for Transport (DfT) to review the “impractical” April 30 deadline for Agency Agreements and to extend this to October.
Abta plans to quiz Kate Jennings, head of the DfT’s aviation policy implementation division, about this at an Atol webinar on Monday. “We are calling on the DfT to
ent were on tune when they had a surprise visit siting agencies to highlight the line’s campaign, g to see who can secure the most bookings.
extend this deadline to October to coincide with the introduction of the Atol certificates and give travel businesses a realistic timeframe for getting this done,” said chief executive Mark Tanzer. Chairman of Aito, Derek Moore, said he agreed with Abta’s concerns,
to use the high street,” he said. This is an issue that agents across the country feel strongly about. Susan Fawcett, manager of Vale
Backing our British high streets
Travel in Sturminster Newton, Dorset said parking was a “huge” issue in her area too. “We lost free parking last year and it’s not just the cost, but also the inconvenience. We feel strongly about it. We have been in this town for 25 years and hope to be here in the future,” she said. Martyn Fisher, owner of
Greenstar Travel, added that
retailers in his village of Claygate in Surrey also had mobilised on the parking issue.
GET INVOLVED! Sign our Charter, lobby your MP and let us know how you are making a difference for local retailers:
ttgdigital.com/trust
ATOL REFORM
Changes rushed in over insolvency fears
THE ATOL reforms are being pushed through over fears there could be a major insolvency this year, the transport secretary admitted last week. In a Transport Select Committee session at Westminster last Wednesday, Theresa Villiers was quizzed by MPs on whether the deficit of the Air Travel Trust Fund (ATTF) was the main reason for the Department for Transport pushing through the reforms. “Our desire to keep up the pace is
more to do with what would happen if there was a major insolvency,” Villiers said. “We want to press ahead so that as many consumers are protected as possible. We can’t exclude the possibility of a major insolvency.” She also refused to give a firm commitment on when airlines would be brought into the scheme. MP John Leech said: “There is no
but added that industry education should also be prioritised. “Staff are still not aware of what needs to be done,” he said. Abta said it also wants clarification
from the DfT on why seat only sales now need an Atol. “Under the terms of Atol reform, any agent selling a seat-only flight ha to have an Atol and pay £2.50 per sale, unless they have a written agency agreement with the airline,” said Tanzer.
■Abta is running a live 30- minute webinar at 3pm on March 5. Register at:
abta.com/atolreform
UPDATEATOL
logic not to go the whole step to bring in airlines now, when they are responsible for some of the deficit in the ATTF. Surely we should do it all in one go?” Villiers replied: “This has been a major part of the government proposals, but in practical terms we need primary legislation to bring them in.” Speaking to TTG, she added: “We haven’t got a set timetable. If the bill goes
through and if we decide to extend the powers to include airlines, we will need to have discussions and see what the industry has to say.”
Villiers fears large collapse 01.03.2012
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