Agents urged to plan risk strategies Josie Klein
Agents have been urged to implement risk management procedures in their businesses immediately, and warned failure to plan for incidents can result in “serious financial and reputational damage”. David Atkin, founder of risk
management consultancy Atkin Jones, claimed smaller agencies and tour operators often “bury their heads in the sand” when it comes to risk and safety auditing, but stressed “no business is too small or immune from experiencing a potential crisis”. He said that despite many
companies vowing to introduce protective systems in the wake of the pandemic, few had yet done so.
Atkin shared his views at
a seminar in London, which aimed to educate travel industry representatives on the value of having risk management procedures in place. “We are living and operating in
an ever-more volatile and complex global landscape with incidents and disruptions to normal operations compounded by other external factors, such as geopolitical challenges, climate change, the current cost-of-living crisis and rising customer expectations,” he said. “By understanding the risks and
consequences when something eventually goes wrong, you can then plan for this eventuality, and sense-check whether your response plan is adequate or needs revising.”
TTC brands aim to reap rewards
of trade focus Andrew McQuarrie
TTC Tour Brands hopes its increased focus on the trade and recent investment will help it tap into a “huge appetite” for touring. Kelly Walker, sales director
for the UK, Ireland and Europe, said there was significant scope to boost the profile of all five brands – Contiki, Costsaver, Trafalgar, Insight Vacations and Luxury Gold. The declared ambition follows
the recent expansion of the sales team from four to seven members. “We’re in exciting times because
we know there’s a huge appetite for touring,” said Walker. “We want to
6 2 MAY 2024
increase our profile and focus on agents in the UK and become known as the one-stop shop for touring.” She said departures for 2024 were
looking healthy and the brands’ focus was now on encouraging bookings for next year. “Our 2025 departures are on sale
and we’re seeing strong demand,” said Walker, who joined TTC Tour Brands in January from easyJet holidays. The family-owned operator has
boosted its social media engagement with the trade and is highlighting its “easy-to-use” agent portal. A fam trip recently returned from
Greece, with more fams planned for the rest of the year.
“We want to work strategically
with agents that see themselves having an opportunity with touring,” said Walker, adding that the brands had benefited from their membership of the Association of Touring & Adventure Suppliers (Atas). “Atas is doing a lot of work to
identify agents [interested in touring] and upskilling them,” she said. Top-performing destinations for
TTC Tour Brands recently include east and southeast Asia, especially Japan and the Philippines. A Philippines with Contiki itinerary was introduced in February and became the
brand’s fastest-selling trip in its history. Insight Vacations’ Women-Only
Tours, unveiled in March, will offer departures from 2025 following demand for small-group solo travel. Destinations include Peru, India plus Nepal, Italy, Egypt and Morocco. Walker said her role had deepened
her appreciation of “immersive travel”, adding: “You get to understand the destination and meet the local people, and we’re huge on sustainability.” She pointed to the brands’ ‘Make
Travel Matter Experiences’, which aim to have a positive social impact on the communities visited.
travelweekly.co.uk By making decisions
upfront, a business will experience much less negative impact should the worst happen
Atkin encouraged agents to study
the risk and crisis management plans and procedures of operator partners. For those packaging their own
trips, he advised they develop their own safety management system frameworks, beginning with a gap analysis exercise where they consider the risks that might affect their business and assess how equipped they are to deal with them.
“Operators must have plans in
place to control risks prior to travel and be able to respond to in-resort emergencies – agents either need to do the same or should know what their operator has in place,” he said. “Larger businesses require high
levels of planning and oversight, but agents and smaller operators can achieve an appropriate level of due diligence with a well-thought-out plan.” He added: “Risk and crisis
management often ends up as a ‘we’ll do it next year’ commitment because, like insurance, it can feel like you’re investing time and money in something that might never happen. But by making decisions upfront, a business will experience much less negative impact should the worst happen.”
Kelly Walker
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