NEWS delegates attend Atas’s biggest-ever event. Samantha Mayling reports from Royal Armouries, Leeds


Price parity ‘key to trade support’


A


Atas chair Zina Bencheikh


gents were urged to focus on the touring and adventure sector because it is in


growth mode and not beset by discounting due to operators offering price parity. Vicky Billing, head of trade and


partnerships at Riviera Travel, said: “I don’t get that feedback [about discounts] as we have price parity; it’s a level playing field. We do not have discounting worries in touring.” Atas ‘Agent Ambassadors’


agreed they focused on touring and adventure because of the growth opportunities and price parity. Paul Hardwick, retail director


at Fred Olsen Travel, said: “The average booking value is high, margins are good and price parity is key.” He added: “We’re looking


at expanding our business quite rapidly, so we’re looking at sectors that are looking to grow.” Zoe Franklin, Travel Club Elite


wer to change people’s lives’


carbon mitigation scheme, which grows trees in areas where the operator has community projects. Sustainability expert Saunders


Carmichael-Brown said: “Without travel, we would be in a worse place because of a lack of awareness about [sustainability]. We need to put pressure on politicians and organisations.” Simon Applebaum, managing


director of Gold Medal, parent of the Incredible Journeys touring brand, said: “Touring can disperse people and their spending – and they spend longer in destinations.”


sales manager, said her agency focused on touring and adventure because it was a growing sector. About 17-18% of her agency’s


business currently comes from touring and adventure suppliers and the figure is increasing.


Darryl Gardner, a personal travel


consultant at Cartwright Travel, was tasked with developing touring and adventure sales in 2020. “It’s gone from strength to strength and is now about 25% of our business,” he told delegates. “Price parity with these companies is great.” Niel Alobaidi, chief executive


of Newmarket Holidays, said the “hand-holding” of escorted tours is hard to ‘DIY’, adding: “Itineraries are all different; that’s why price- matching does not come into play.” Billing further outlined the


potential, adding: “Riviera will have 90,000 guests this year and we’re just one company. You could potentially offer a touring holiday to most customers – the opportunity is huge.” Becky Francis, EMEA sales


director at Quark Expeditions, said: “Lots of people are scared of expedition cruises, but there was a massive stat in a survey: 71% of people who intend to cruise said they want to go on an expedition.” Stu Darnley, national sales


manager at G Adventures, highlighted its 50% agent discount, citing one agent who holidayed in Costa Rica and then sold 20 trips to the destination.


ATAS AWARDS 2024


ETouring & Adventure Agency of the Year Cartwright Travel


AGENCIES OF THE YEAR ESoutheast England Fred Olsen Travel


ESouthwest England Miles Morgan Travel


ENortheast England Beverley Travel


ENorthwest England Aspen Travel


ECentral England Premier Travel


EScotland & Northern Ireland Jimmy Martin Travel


EWales Cartwright Travel


EAgency of the Year – High Street Hays Travel


EHomeworking Travel Counsellors


EOnline/Call Centre Travel Club Elite


SPECIAL AWARDS ETouring & Adventure One to Watch Bucket List Travel


EExpedition Cruise One to Watch Trailfinders


ESocial Media Star Hannah Blackmore – Bucket List Travel


ESustainability Champion ArrangeMY Escape


From left: Zoe Franklin, Paul Hardwick and Darryl Gardner


travelweekly.co.uk 24 OCTOBER 2024 11


PICTURES: Sarah Lucy Brown


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