AN EXTREMELY
CHALLENGING YEAR

2009 HAS BEEN AN EXTREMELY CHALLENGING YEAR FOR ABTA AND OUR MEMBERS. THE BANKING CRISIS, RECESSION AND THE WEAKNESS OF THE POUND HAD A VERY DIRECT NEGATIVE IMPACT ON BOOKINGS; A STATE OF AFFAIRS WE MAY HAVE TO GET USED TO WITH THE UK STILL IN RECESSION AND NO IMMEDIATE PROSPECT OF STERLING STRENGTHENING. HOWEVER SENSIBLE CAPACITY CUTS MADE BY ABTA MEMBERS HELPED TO PROTECT THEM AGAINST THE DRASTIC PROFIT FALLS THAT HAVE HIT MANY AIRLINES.

At the Travel Convention in Barcelona in October we looked to the future with Tourism 2023, our vision to ensure that ABTA Members and the rest of our industry create a business that is truly sustainable both environmentally and economically and which continues to provide employment both here and abroad for hundreds of thousands of people without ruining the planet. This is a truly ground-breaking initiative and a role model for other industries to follow.

After nine months it is clear that the coming together of ABTA and the FTO into one office has already had immediate benefits for all ABTA Members. The ABTA Secretariat has always offered a high level of expertise to its Members with advice on the law, consumer affairs and an enviably high public profile maintained by the PR department. Now the FTO also provides unrivalled operational expertise in health and safety and sustainable development and has considerably increased ABTA's profile with government. The appointment of new Head of Public Affairs Luke Pollard, and the additions of ex Cabinet Minister Norman Fowler and Christine Farnish Public Policy Director of Barclays to offer their advice to the ABTA Board, will greatly increase our expertise and leverage. This year we were in the forefront of raising public awareness about the unjustifiable rises in Air Passenger Duty, and with our new team in place we will take the fight forward to help prevent next year's proposed increases.

Throughout October and November we have conducted a series of roundtables at the House of Commons and in Brussels which have gained support from a number of key decision makers over a range of issues such as gas and fire safety, prevention of infectious diseases with the aim of having a European Directive on Tourist Accommodation Safety which would have significant benefits both for our Members and their customers. ABTA has also led the discussion on the need for an urgent review of financial protection with our proposals for an extension of the ATOL scheme and longer term, a fundamental root and branch review of the Package Travel Directive which should clear up the confused and confusing systems we currently have in place.

I was elected as Chairman in June, the first election in ABTA's history for the post of head of the association, which showed ABTA to be a very lively and involved democracy. I had some pretty big boots to fill following on from Justin Fleming who was ABTA President for three years. He led the association through a period of significant change and deserves all our thanks for his intelligent and skilful guidance.