The Interview


Alistair Rowland, The Midcounties Co-operative


‘The industry won’t be the same’ without Thomas Cook, says new Abta chairman. He spoke to Ian Taylor


A 18


listair Rowland spent the start of this week, like most in the industry, dealing


with fall-out from the failure of Thomas Cook. “Te industry won’t be the same,”


he says. “We’re very sorry for the employees.” Yet Rowland, chief retail officer


for specialist business at Te Midcounties Co-operative, rejects claims by commentators that Cook failed because it was old-fashioned, outpaced by online bookings and still selling package holidays through high street travel agents. He notes: “Te issues with


Tomas Cook have been in play for at least 10 years. Tomas Cook should have made strategic decisions earlier. It was too litle too late in trying to shore up its financial position. “Te notion that consumer


behaviour has totally changed is wrong. Look at what Jet2 has achieved. It has given new life to the package holiday and credibility to [the idea of] an airline becoming a tour operator.”


26 SEPTEMBER 2019 He insists: “Te idea that the


package holiday is dead because of online booking is wrong otherwise Jet2 would not be selling four million package holidays a year, one third of them through travel agents.” Te new Abta chairman –


Rowland took over from Sunvil chairman Noel Josephides in June – adds: “Te reverberations will be felt for a long time. We don’t know yet what the market will look like without Tomas Cook’s three million package holidays and eight million seat sales. “Abta will have a part to play in


helping the industry understand the marketplace without a company as significant as Tomas Cook in it.”


Shared values Rowland, rather like the Co-operative businesses he has worked at for most of 30 years, is not prone to atention seeking, preferring to get on with the job. Yet he has wasted no time in identifying the priorities he sees for Abta, having served on the association’s board for eight years. He says: “I’ve always been a fan


of Abta. Tere are a lot of synergies between the values of the association and the values of the Co-operative. But I feel Abta understates both itself and a lot of the work it does, not least in the EU.” He argues: “Tese are tough times


and Abta’s proposition has to add real value to the membership and be clearer on the value it provides.” Rowland highlights three areas he


sees as priorities: “First, on moving to a zero-carbon economy – Abta members need someone to follow. Tis is an area Abta can really develop. It needs to take a lead role in helping members take a lead on sustainability – that can be around the products members sell and around members’ own businesses


and their carbon footprint.” He sees this as forming a core part


of Abta’s next five-year plan. Rowland says: “Sustainability and educating the membership on sustainability need to be high on the agenda in our 2020-25 plan. “Consumers care now. Tey do


understand. People want to do things more ethically. Tere is a mantra around this now and it will be high on [Abta chief] Mark Tanzer’s agenda.”


Pushing transparency Rowland’s second priority is an issue of immediate concern to the sector. He says: “Abta needs to create absolute transparency in terms of commercial financial protection and in seting rules the consumer


The idea that the package holiday is dead because of online booking is wrong otherwise Jet2 would not be selling four million package holidays a year


travelweekly.co.uk


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