Abta members ‘upset and resentful’ over subs hike
Ian Taylor
Abta gave notice of an increase in membership subscription rates last week, sparking anger among some members. Subscriptions will rise by an
average 8% from July 1, though with the increase limited to 4% or less for “about three-quarters” of members, according to Abta, and the minimum rate unchanged. Oliver Brendon, chief executive
of ATD Travel Services, accused the association of basing its increased fees on “a fictional figure” as subscriptions for the 12 months from July will be based on firms’ turnover for 2019. He acknowledged Abta had
granted a 50% reduction on its fees for 2020 but pointed out subscriptions were previously based on turnover “from the last accounting period”, which would be 2021-22. Brendon said his annual
subscription would have been £10,000-£15,000 based on last year’s turnover, instead of “roughly £50,000” and said: “Abta has just changed the rules. It justifies it by saying ‘we lost a load of money’. But Abta still has reserves.” He argued: “These are not
huge sums of money. It’s more the principle. Abta hasn’t gone through
Oliver Brendon
Baldwins Travel wins £30k in The Royal Pitch contest
Baldwins Travel has won £30,000 in the opening round of Royal Caribbean International’s Dragons’ Den-style competition, The Royal Pitch. The eight-branch agency is
inviting consumers to post selfies in front of a Royal Caribbean and Baldwins-branded dune buggy on social media to enter a competition to win a cruise. The buggy will be driven to various events around the southeast to create a buzz about the cruise line among the local community, the agency said. Emma McHugh, Atlantic Travel;
the enormous pain that small and mid-sized travel businesses have. Members would accept it if Abta had taken some of the pain.” A senior industry source agreed,
saying: “Abta has a pile of cash it is not sharing with members. There was no mention [in the subscriptions notice] of the millions gained on Abta’s sale of its investment property.” Abta sold its former London head
office for £19.65 million last October, allowing it to pay off a £2 million loan and leaving it with assets totalling more than £25 million. The source said: “Abta has no intention of cutting overheads. Its expectation is this will be forgotten. But I’ve never
Foreign Office relaxes advice for travellers to Sri Lanka
The Foreign Office (FCDO) no longer warns against all but essential travel to Sri Lanka. Last month, the FCDO said people should only travel to the Indian Ocean destination for essential purposes due to the “ongoing political and economic instability”. A state of emergency was declared and an island-wide curfew was in place following anti-government protests.
6 16 JUNE 2022
seen such resentment toward Abta.” A second senior source argued
the increase in subscriptions “had to come” but said “it’s a tough time” for Abta members and suggested the association’s leadership need to be aware of “where Abta is in the popularity stakes”. The source told Travel Weekly:
“More and more people are upset. Lots of small companies are very upset.” Abta chief executive Mark Tanzer
gave notice of a change in the way subscriptions are set in February when he said: “Subscriptions based on most-recent turnover aren’t going
to work [from July].” i Abta defends rise in fees, page 46
Turkey removes Covid entry requirements for all arrivals
Turkey has removed all Covid entry requirements, according to updated advice on the Foreign Office website. Travellers no longer need to show proof of vaccination, proof of recovery or a negative Covid test. Unvaccinated arrivals were previously required to show a negative PCR or rapid antigen test.
Winners and judges
Steve Philippou, Passion for Cruises; and Perfect Getaways’ Dave Palmer and Michael Blackburn also bagged cash to boost their Royal bookings at The Royal Pitch event at the line’s UK offices in Weybridge last week. In total, £44,000 was split
among four entrants who pitched to a judging panel that included entrepreneur Levi Roots, who appeared on Dragons’ Den in 2007. Entries for the next round of
The Royal Pitch competition opened this week.
Abta LifeLine appoints Claire Stirrup and Chris North to board
Abta LifeLine has appointed Celebrity Cruises’ Claire Stirrup and Vertical Systems’ Chris North to its board. The two trustees have taken up their positions with immediate effect. The board is made up of a total of eight people. Abta LifeLine chair Derek Jones said: “Having two experienced players like Claire and Chris with us will bring a new dynamic to the board.”
travelweekly.co.uk
PICTURE: Matt Sprake
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48
