NEWS THE TRAVEL CONVENTION 2018
THE TRAVEL CONVENTION 2018: More than 500 delegates attended Abta’s annual event last week. Ian Taylor, Amie Keeley and Phil Davies report from Seville
Six-page special report, pages 16-21
John Bevan, dnata Travel; Richard Calvert, Specialist Leisure Group; Robin Shaw, Saga Travel; and moderator Chris Ship
‘The cost of no-deal Brexit is too great for both sides’
Industry leaders have dismissed the threat of a “disastrous” no-deal Brexit despite the deadline for Britain’s exit from the EU fast approaching.
Addressing Abta’s Travel
Convention in Seville, Saga Travel chief executive Robin Shaw said: “The cost of not doing a deal on both sides is too great.” John Bevan, chief executive of dnata Travel Europe, agreed, adding: “The government has to get a deal, but it can’t disclose anything. It could go to the wire.” Earlier, easyJet chief executive Johan Lundgren told the convention: “I don’t think it will be disaster. I speak to everybody – to member states, to the EU –
Robin Shaw, Saga Travel
“As we get nearer [to the deadline] more people may hold back booking”
everyone wants [a deal] to happen. “It is inconceivable politicians on both sides would put [airlines] in that position [of no deal]. There will be at least basic connectivity [between the UK and EU].” Shaw argued: “There is a negotiation going on. It’s a one-off, it has never been done before and it is hugely complicated, but it is in the interests of both sides to do a deal. I think a deal will be done.” Specialist Leisure Group chief
executive Richard Calvert told the convention: “There will be winners and losers, [and] if there is no deal we [SLG] will be a winner and a loser.
“The majority of our business
is domestic, [but] we have 1,500 colleagues from Europe working in our hotels. There is a lot of nervousness about what will happen.” He added: “We’re concerned about what will happen at borders.” Bevan said: “Some of our business is focused on long-haul, but Travel Republic is predominantly short-haul, so that is a worry. “My biggest concern is about the consumer. As we get nearer [to the deadline] more people may hold back booking.” Abta’s Holiday Habits report
found the proportion of people confused about how Brexit would affect their holidays had risen from 36% in last year’s survey to 43%. The proportion concerned by
rising travel costs rose from 52% to 54%, while those who thought it would be harder to travel after Brexit rose from 43% to 48%.
16
travelweekly.co.uk 18 October 2018
‘There are reasons to be cheerful – volumes are up’
Abta chief executive Mark Tanzer declared “reasons to be cheerful” as he opened The Travel Convention while demanding “strong and clear regulation”. “We’re reaching a decisive moment in Brexit, but while politicians dither, customers continue to book,” he said. “Volumes and value are up.
Abta research shows Europe tops the list of most-popular destinations for next year. There are reasons to be cheerful. “Over the last 12 months I’ve spent a lot of time in Europe impressing on our partners the value of our tourism. Everybody agrees.” Tanzer said Abta had
developed a no-deal Brexit scenario to enable businesses to plan and give confidence to consumers. “Preparedness is all. We live in an era of great chaos,” he said, adding that there was a lack of trust in politicians and the media. “We need regulation and we need trust in politicians to make that regulation. The travel industry likes strong and clear regulation.”
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 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84
