ABTA”s (The Association of British Travel Agents) board of directors has announced plans to re-structure the association and make it fully representative of the travel industry, both today and in the long term future.
Members will be asked to vote for changes at the upcoming Extraordinary General Meeting on 3 April. The proposed changes involve halving the number of board directors from 18 to nine, with greater flexibility in appointing both members and non-members to ensure the optimum level of expertise.
Other possible changes to be decided at the meeting include a name change from ”The Association of British Travel Agents” to ”ABTA Limited”; name changes for membership categories ”travel agent” and ”tour operator” to ”agent” and ”principal” in keeping with current business trends; president and Council of Regions elections by the membership at large rather than just the board; and president chairmanship of the Council of Regions, with the vice chairman elected by the Council of Regions.
”The travel industry has been going through a period of revolution and reformation,” explained ABTA chief executive Mark Tanzer. ”The internet and no frills carriers have radically changed travel patterns and the way travel is organised and sold.
”ABTA has been the lead travel trade association for more than 50 years because it has always responded to the dynamism of its members. The changes the board is proposing now are needed if ABTA is to be the powerhouse of the UK travel industry.”