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ITAA conference 2013
GLOBAL VILLAGE
ITAA members briefing the delegates on aspects of the Association’s work, John Galligan, Clare Dunne, Valerie Metcalfe, Angela Walsh, Martin Skelly and Pat Dawson
T
Cadiz or Jerez?
ITAA Conference heads back to Andalucia next year
he Irish Travel Agents Association conference hosted in Granada by Gonzalo Ceballos of the Spanish Tourist Board and Antonio Martin of Andalucian Tourist Board was on eo fhte most successful in history and is likely to be followed by a return to Andalucia next yeat. Cadiz and Jeres are being speculated as potential venues for the next ITAA conference. A panel discussion on NDC was the high point of the conference, chaired by John Galligan who observed that “since they started selling hotels and car hire, Ryanair are turning into the biggest travel agent in the country.” At a press conferences Andalucian Tourism Minister Rafael Rodriguez said the regional government was prepared to work with airlines and tour operators to help them develop profitable routes, such as the recent BA route from London to Granada. He said while they had had contacts with Ryanair the “Ryanair philosophy is not consistent with ours.”
NOVEMBER 2013 PAGE 33
NDC was debated by a panel of Yanki
Hoyles IATA Head NDC Programme FDS Transformation, Fergal Kelly Travelport VP for Product Portfolio, Alexandre Jorre Amadeus Senior Manager Commercial Marketing, Helena O’Connell Aer Lingus Country manager Ireland and Scotland. Chair of the panel John Galligan said the debate was designed to raise more questions than answers and had succeeded in doing that. He saw the GDS fees as a threat as well as the ability of the airlines to sell ancillaries, therefore becoming competitors to the agents.
ITOF Martin Skelly reported on the meeting between ITOF and ITAA in Palma, and said that the two bodies had a lot in common and that agents remained a major part of the distribution system and most of the operators rely on agents as their only distribution outlet. “We seemingly have a huge contribution to make to the operators. The two organisations are joined at the hip and it would be appropriate to make joint submissions on many topics.” AER LINGUS are to offer an ITAA
exclusive promotion for their winter sun destinations with a longer lead-in time and longer selling period, 20pc discount in Faro and Malaga, and 10pc discount on the Canary Island, with the travel period November and March. The fares are designed to be packaged and are not to be sold on their own in competition with Aer Lingus website.
ECTA Valerie Metcalfe reported on the re-
Antonio Martin speaking at the Gala dinner in Carmen de Los Martiresduring the ITAA Annual Conference in Granada, An extremely detailed VAT session ham Carroll of Digitalounge) and reby Dermot O’Brien and Gabrielle tail units (Alf Dunbar of youarethedDillon highlighted the lack of any ifference). legal framework for the current VAT President of the ITAA, Clare regulations on the travel trade. Dunne, said at the Conference that A new booklet is being prepared overseas tourism collaboration was for the Association on the subject by essential in creating employment in Dermot O’Brien, who warned that Ireland. the current Revenue guidelines had She said the Irish travel industry is no legal weight and were just “the worth €150m per annum to the Irish Revenue commissioners’ view of the economy in terms of value added spend when people are planning their world.” There were lively presentations on holidays. There are over 4,500 peowhat agents should do to get more ple directly employed in the industry business from their websites (Gra- in Ireland,”
form on the package holiday directive at European level. It was here that contact with NDC was first made.
BONDING Angela Walsh reported that
CAR are willing to engage with agents snd supported them on the issue fo credit card bodning. She said the ITAA had a meeting with one of the merchant providers, which indicated they had “absolutely no concept of the different layers of bonding that exist, we were compared with a retail furniture business.” She said CAR realise that the existing bonding system cannot continue.
CLICKS Graham Carroll of Digi-
talounge talked about the management of websites, and remarked that he was surprised so many agents did not have the capacity to change their own websites.
BRICKS Alf Dunbar of youarethedifference talked about use of the sales envirrnment.
IATA have invited Clare Dunne to speak at QUOTES OF THE CONFERENCE the IATA symposium at the end of November. for Irish travellers and nights spent tacts have been made with Ryanair, STICKER Clare Dunne said that the JOHN GALLIGAN abroad at 25pc, That makes Spain but Ryanair’s philosophy is not con-
Since they started selling car hire and hotels, Ryanair have become the biggest travel agent in the country.
CLARE DUNNE Cus-
tomers are demanding new products, seats, legroom, upgrades. The airline seat now is only the start of it.
GONZALO CEBALLOS Trips abroad are at 21pc of the total
the biggest destination for Irish.
GRAHAM CARROLL
People are planning their holidays online are spending 12 to 18 hours trying to do it.
RAFAEL RODRIGUEZ
(Andalusia Minister of Tourism and Commerce) We want to help airlines make a route profitable. Con-
sistent with ours.
ITAA sticker brings credibility and should be displayed on websites and on windows.
CLARE DUNNE You and your team are the most important aspect of your business.
ECTA stage their second bi-ennial meeting in Dublin on October 27-28.
DERMOT O’BRIEN
The existing Revenue regulations on VAT for travel agents have no basis in law, they are just the Revenue’s view of the world.
FINANCE Martin Skelly the Treasurer reported on the finances of the ITAA. “We can control our costs. It is a bit of a problem controllng our income but we have budgeted to make a profit during the year.”