ABTA Board to be halved in size
ABTA voted yesterday to halve the size of its board of directors from 18 to nine as part of a major shake-up.
At the association’s Annual General Meeting, it also agreed to change its name from the Association of British Travel Agents to ABTA Limited.
After being elected, the nine directors will take up their new positions on July 1.
Alongside the president and chief executive, four board members will be elected by fellow members. One will be from a member with a retail turnover of less than £20 million, one with more than £20 million, another with less than £50 million, and a fourth principal with turnover of more than £50 million.
These members will serve a two-year term and will be elected by members in the relevant turnover category.
Another two ABTA members will be appointed by the four elected members, the president and the chief executive. They will also serve a two-year term.
Another person will be appointed by the four elected members but does not have to be an ABTA member.
President Justin Fleming will remain in the role until September, when he will also be up for re-election.
ABTA said the move would make decision making easier and faster.
Under the suggested changes, membership categories will also change from ‘travel agent’ and ‘tour operator’, to ‘agents’ and ‘principals’.
By Bev Fearis
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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