Aito reaffirms expansion plans at Gibraltar event
Juliet Dennis Aito Famference, Gibraltar
Aito Agents has pledged to continue to grow its membership and is proactively recruiting homeworking groups. Speaking at the fourth Aito
Famference in Gibraltar, chair Gemma Antrobus said the agent arm of The Specialist Travel Association aimed to expand from 75 high street branches to 100 but had no set target for homeworkers. The pledge came as Aito said it
would continue to target expansion of its tour operator members from 100 members to 150 by 2027-28. Antrobus said Aito Agents was
contacting homeworking groups, recruiting former members and using existing members to spread the word. Homeworking groups Inspire Travel and Designer Travel are already members. “We are going to homeworking
groups and often the conversations come from homeworkers who used to work for Aito members who have said it would be great to join Aito,” said Antrobus, who noted the hybrid fam trip and conference was one of the group’s most popular events. This year’s three-night Aito
Famference, which included a mix
of 40 agents and operators, sold out within 24 hours. It included a raft of daily excursions. During the trip, Antrobus called
on agents to help change perceptions and “positively promote” the destination. She said: “This is the reason we come to destinations, so we can experience what it’s like and be ready to sell it. It’s our responsibility now to go back and talk about this trip and positively promote Gibraltar.” She said many agents were not
familiar with the British Overseas Territory because they were not asked about it by clients. “We want to change perceptions in the agent community and we’ve
Growth in spending with agents
stagnated in May – Barclays Year-on-year spend growth through travel agents all but stagnated in May, but spending with airlines rose 9.7%, according to Barclays’ latest consumer card data. Agents saw spending rise by just 0.1% in the month, although transactions grew by 11.4%. The upturn in spending with airlines – greater than a 5.7% year-on-year rise in April – came despite transaction levels dipping by 3.5%.
8 12 JUNE 2025 Aito members enjoy a
Gibraltar viewing point. Inset: Gemma Antrobus
already been talking to each other about who to sell it to,” she added. The trip included a 1940s-themed
dinner hosted inside Gibraltar’s Second World War tunnels, attended by tourism minister Christian Santos, who said trade events such as the Aito Famference and Clia’s destination showcase last year were vital to push the destination to a wider audience, such as to families for active short breaks. Santos, minister for equality, employment, culture, tourism, youth and training, said: “The trade is a key player.” Aito is currently assessing two
destinations for next year when it will celebrate its 50th anniversary.
Los Angeles protests trigger Foreign Office travel alert
The Foreign Office issued a travel alert for Los Angeles amid demonstrations and protests in the city. Advice for British travellers to the US was altered on Monday after thousands of National Guard troops and 700 marines were deployed in the city by the federal government in response to protests about immigration raids.
Cancer charity calls for ‘fair’ travel insurance
A cancer charity has called for “urgent” government action to ensure people with cancer can access “fair” travel insurance. Maggie’s said people with cancer
are “routinely refused cover or quoted unaffordable premiums”, even when they are in a stable condition, forcing many to travel without insurance or not travel at all. Maggie’s is urging Emma
Reynolds, economic secretary to the Treasury, to assemble a taskforce to tackle travel insurance prices faced by people with a history of cancer. Dale Robinson, director at Just
Travel Cover, said specialist providers and brokers play a “vital role”. “Agents can be instrumental in
this process by guiding clients to the right places, such as partnering with a specialist or signposting to [free advice site] MoneyHelper or BIBA Travel Insurance Directories, which lists FCA-regulated specialist providers like Just Travel Cover, who may be able to find suitable and affordable options,” he said. “It also provides travellers
with the reassurance of dealing with experts who assess each case individually rather than applying blanket exclusions or prohibitive pricing. It’s about restoring confidence for people who deserve the chance to make memories.”
Luxtripper brand revived as new name for Affordable Luxury
Affordable Luxury Travel has changed its name to Luxtripper following the acquisition of the failed operator’s brand name and core assets almost two years ago. Affordable Luxury Travel, part of the Moresand Group, said the rebrand would give the business a “new identity” and more of a “recognisable name”. The original Luxtripper business went into administration in October 2023.
travelweekly.co.uk
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