NEWS as it sets sights on growing to 1,000 members. Andrew McQuarrie reports from Sutton Coldfield


‘EES needs clearer guidance or risks horrendous summer’


F The PTS team Delegates at the gala dinner me a member of Abta’ Landen added: “Not everyone has


that mentality but I think, over time, the younger guard will come through the industry and be more inclusive. “For me, personally, I think


[joining Abta] would be a great thing to do, but it’s about getting it over the line.” PTS managing director Emma


Collis said the group had attracted an additional 223 members since the inaugural conference in September 2024, bringing the total to 483. She added that 60% of members


are tour operators, with the remainder being agents.


urther guidance is needed on the European Union’s Entry/Exit System to avoid it causing “utter carnage” next month, Protected Trust Services (PTS) managing director


Emma Collis warned. The system, which is set to be fully introduced on


April 10, has been rolled out in stages since October. Collis said a recent visit to an EU airport had made her


believe “serious work” is needed to ensure travellers are fully informed of the requirements. “It’s going to be utter carnage if there are not clearer


guidelines on the time limits [for how long your details are stored] and, when you get to the [destination] airport, clearer guidelines on where you should be,” she said. “With children as well, in the peak summer months,


that’s going to have the biggest impact on people’s holidays if they don’t sort that out – it’s going to be horrendous.” Asked whether agents could play a role in educating


the public, she said: “I think it’s unfair to push it on to travel agents. The government needs to give better, simpler advice that allows a travel agent to advise the customer so the journey is less stressful.” Chief executive Daniel Landen said the ongoing


conflict in the Middle East and its impact on prices could serve to bolster the appeal of PTS’s proposition.


Emma Collis


“People are booking later, prices are going up and


margins are going to get squeezed,” he said, adding PTS’s offering becomes “more relevant” in such an environment. “We don’t take a percentage of commission,” he said. Collis confirmed the group is setting its sights on


significant growth, repeating a previously voiced ambition to more than double its membership base to 1,000. “We would love to get to that number of members if


they’re the right fit for us and we’re the right fit for them, and we keep the ethos we’ve got today,” she said. “It’s not about being the biggest, it’s about being the best.”


Operators urged to expand marketing beyond social media


Travology Travel founder Lucy Clarke urged tour operators to offer greater marketing support, arguing that social media material is not enough. Clarke, whose business has


grown to 23 agents, said operators need to invest more money into trade-focused marketing. “With some suppliers, they


don’t always offer anything other than social media posts,” she said. “Sometimes, a bit of marketing


support would go a long way. There are lots that do offer that, but I think marketing is where we need more support.


travelweekly.co.uk “Some suppliers do overbranded


brochures and leaflets. We need more of that sort of stuff – not just ‘lift and shift’ social media posts.”


Lucy Clarke


Clarke took part in a panel


discussion that also featured Marvellous Escapes director Paul Tavener and Conacu Voyages founder Simon Cox. In an earlier session, PTS’s digital


marketing and lead generation specialist Stephen Linsley told delegates ChatGPT can help create successful marketing content, and he invited them to consider low-cost online advertising. He encouraged agents to “have


fun” with their social media posts and suggested they take photos with clients when they have permission to do so.


26 MARCH 2026 11


PICTURES: Keyhole Studios; Andrew McQuarrie


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