GETTING THE MOST OUT OF TOURIST OFFICES
Date published: 31 January 2008Building relationships and working closely with tourist boards during a crisis in a destination is key to getting the most out of UK tourist boards, speakers at a brand new ANTOR/ABTA event will argue on 26 February.
The Tourist Board Seminar, supported by ABTA Magazine, will be held at 68-71 Newman Street, from 0930 to 1600 and will be open to representatives from tourist offices. Speakers from airlines, tour operators and travel agents will all discuss the best ways that tourist offices can work with them, while other speakers will talk about the state of the market, Foreign Office advisories, health and safety issues, responsible tourism and the benefits of destination training.
Delegates will also hear how the Kenyan and Sri Lankan Tourist Boards managed recent crises and how working well with trade partners can help protect tour programmes and help destinations recover quickly.
This is the first time ABTA, ANTOR (Association of National Tourist Office Representatives) and ABTA Magazine have worked together on an exclusive tourist board event.
"ABTA works particularly closely with tourist offices on managing issues that can negatively affect UK holidaymakers, but ABTA can also provide tourist offices with a multitude of opportunities to promote their destination to the trade. We also hope that the seminar will share best practice," said Steve Barnes, Senior Membership Marketing Manager.
Chairman of the ANTOR board, Tracey Poggio said: "In a year that promises to be challenging for the travel industry worldwide, ANTOR is delighted to be partnering ABTA, in bringing key issues and discussion into debate with our members. I hope this session marks the start of closer networking between our two organisations."
For full programme details and to book your place, go to www.abta.com/events/touristboard260208.pdf. For specific event questions, please contact the ABTA Events department on 020 7307 1956 or 1952.
23 January 2008
For further information
Sean Tipton, Communications Officer, tel: 020 7307 1902/1900, Frances Tuke, Public Relations Manager, tel: 020 7307 1903/1900, David Marshall, Head of Policy and Communications, tel: 020 7307 1912Out of Hours: Contact the Duty Press Officer via pager: 07659 190987
Web: www.abta.com
Notes to editors
ABTA was founded in 1950 and currently has nearly 1,500 members with 6,000 outlets. Members include travel agents, tour operators and support services right across the spectrum from small family-owned businesses to the largest tour operators.ABTA is the largest travel association in the UK and its members provide 90% of the foreign package holidays in the UK as well as selling millions of independent travel arrangements.
As part of its comprehensive package of services to members, ABTA, as a non-party political organisation, also provides an effective voice to represent the interests of its Members to government and key opinion formers at the highest levels. In the UK, these include, government ministers, constituency MPs, Select Committee members, senior civil servants and members of the political opposition parties in both Westminster and the devolved administrations in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
In Europe, ABTA is forming close ties with members of the European Parliament, the European Commission and staff within the Director Generals' Secretariats. ABTA works in partnership with ECTAA (the European grouping of travel agents and tour operators' associations) to lobby on interests relevant to its Members.
