NEWS THE TRAVEL CONVENTION 2017
Mark Tanzer, Abta
Alistair Rowland, Midcounties Co-op
‘Learn how to protect your brand in era of fake news’
Travel companies should not try to gain media coverage by dressing up fake news to look like real news, according to Rachel O’Reilly of Kuoni UK.
This was one of the conclusions
drawn from Travel Weekly’s Business Breakfast debate at Abta’s Travel Convention on brand and reputation in a fake news era. O’Reilly, Kuoni UK’s head of communications, also urged companies to be cautious about using social channels such as Twitter to make official comments. However, she said journalists
embracing different social media feeds were of value to the industry
Travel Weekly Business Breakfast
as they enabled destinations to be portrayed visually and instantly in addition to printed media. Claire Irvin, head of travel
editorial at The Telegraph, cited Snapchat, the limited-time
messaging app, being used by The Telegraph to make serious stories appealing to a younger audience. Abta chairman Noel Josephides questioned why social media should not be bound by the same regulations as traditional media.
Irvin said introducing rules
would need the co-operation of “people who are not co-operative”. She spoke out against “schlock
[trash] entertainment” used par- ticularly on social media platforms in the US to shape the news. “No one wants to see really
extremist views on their social feeds,” Irvin said. She also warned of “unfettered opinion that becomes truth”. Royal Caribbean International UK and Ireland managing director Ben Bouldin said: “Everyone with an opinion can publish it in an unregulated fashion. It’s no longer about legitimate media titles; everyone can be a journalist in their own right now.” The Business Breakfast audience also heard that travel companies that effectively respond to negative social media postings can enhance their reputations. Shearings Leisure chief executive Richard Calvert said: “Having negative reviews is part of the learning process. If you get a bad review, you take it on the chin and respond quickly. You are delusional if you think you are all perfect.”
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travelweekly.co.uk 19 October 2017
‘UK travel industry is fundamentally in good shape’
Industry leaders have declared the UK industry “fundamentally in good shape” despite the failure of Monarch and the uncertainty around Brexit. Alistair Rowland, Midcounties
Co-operative specialist retail group general manager, said: “We’re in lots of sectors at the Co-op and travel is a leading light.”
He said: “The market is
pretty resilient and 2018 looks remarkably strong. Whatever happens, consumers are going to go on holiday. Our job is to make it happen for them.” Stuart Leven, Royal Caribbean Cruises vice- president for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, said: “Fundamentally, the industry is in good shape. “The challenge we face in cruise is getting the product to satisfy demand. I don’t see these issues making a massive dent in consumer confidence.” Iglu chief executive Richard
Downs agreed. “There is uncertainty, but we’re talking about growth in GDP and in demand for more experiences,” he said.
PICTURES: ARIF GARDNER
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