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Abta/FCO launch training on safety
Amie Keeley
amie.keeley@
travelweekly.co.uk
Training on how to highlight Foreign Office (FCO) advice and answer difficult questions about destination safety has been launched for frontline agents.
Abta’s online training, created in partnership with the FCO, uses real-life examples from shop agents and call centre staff. Guidelines for agents on how
to make FCO website information clear and visible online and in print are also included. The training states travel consultants must make customers aware of travel advice and tell customers where it can be found. An animation shows scenarios
in which customers are enquiring about holidays to Turkey and Egypt and advises what to say. In the examples, the agent tells the customer to check the FCO advice to decide if they are comfortable travelling there. Last year, the inquest into the deaths of 30 Britons in Sousse in 2015 raised questions about the industry’s role in advising and protecting customers on holiday
after Tui was accused of failing to inform holidaymakers of a high risk of terror in Tunisia. Travel companies, including Thomas Cook and Tui, have since implemented changes such as including links to FCO advice on every web page. The FCO also updated the way it
describes terror threats to include the likelihood, predictability, frequency and context of attacks, as well as an assessment of local security services. Nikki White, Abta director of destinations and sustainability, said: “Customers are increasingly looking to their travel providers to help answer difficult questions about destinations. “We hope this training will help
Abta members confidently steer their customers towards FCO travel advice and this will help their customers to travel with confidence.”
Members can access the training
on Abta’s ‘Knowledge Zone’ at
abta.com/abtaknowledgezone. The association will also host
an event in London on March 20 about communicating FCO advice
to customers.
abta.com/events
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STORIES HOT
InteleTravel has been recruiting
potential agents via social media
US firm applies for Abta licence
Ben Ireland
ben.ireland@
travelweekly.co.uk
American homeworking group InteleTravel has applied for an Abta licence following interest from “thousands” of potential UK agents.
InteleTravel gives recruits, who
are not required to have industry experience, the chance to be agents “full-time, part-time or as a hobby”. It offers access to its booking
system and does not set sales quotas. It currently has 15,000 contracted agents in the US. Training includes weekly
webinars, conference calls and destination events, and its homeworkers get personalised websites and business cards. James Ferrara, president of
InteleTravel, said there had been “several thousand” applications to join the group in the UK. “I’m thrilled with our reception,” he said. “We bring new people into the industry with new market share. We are not trying to lure existing agents from other agencies. I hope we are welcomed with friendly competition.”
Abta confirmed InteleTravel had
applied to join. A spokesman said every application is “thoroughly vetted and subject to authorisation from our membership committee”. InteleTravel has been recruiting via social media. Its website states: “(We) firmly believe it shouldn’t matter if someone already has a career or doesn’t know anything about travel; what’s important is how passionate he or she is.” Targeting non-travel
homeworkers has proved to be a successful approach for UK agency The Travel Franchise, a division of Not Just Travel. InteleTravel, founded in 1992, said its agents earn between 70%-80% of the commission paid by operators, which the group negotiates at rates of 14%-28%. Homeworkers pay £142 to sign
up and £32 per month. About 30 potential InteleTravel
agents attended Clia’s Cruise360 event in Copenhagen in September. Andy Harmer, Clia’s senior
vice-president, membership, said: “If they are new to travel, Clia is an obvious partner as they will receive training. Welcoming people from other industries gives travel a new dimension.”
1 March 2018
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