TravelMole Interview: Richard Tobias, deputy chairman, Tourism Alliance
New Tourism Alliance deputy chairman Richard Tobias (pictured) is aiming to make the new body the equivalent of the British Retail Consortium, speaking on behalf of everyone in the industry.
Mr Tobias points out that the BRC represents giants like Sainsbury as well as the corner shop and it is about time the industry spoke with one voice on issues.
“Our industry has always been criticised for being too fragmented and that is a totally fair comment,” said Mr Tobias. “It’s time for that to change.”
Mr Tobias helped to form the Tourism Alliance, representing the views of inbound, outbound and domestic tourism, in September 2001, when he was chairman of the British Incoming Tour Operators’ Association.
He quit BITOA after nine years in February and was offered a number of posts, but chose the Tourism Alliance role because he felt it was a challenge he couldn’t resist.
“I believe we can make a difference. I’m not pretending we can change the world, but we can achieve things.”
Among his goals this year is to get the government to recognise that the Tourism Alliance is a responsible body that they can discuss important issues with.
The new VisitBritain body, an amalgamation of the British Tourist Authority and English Tourism Council, has £44 million of funding a year. The government has already promised an additional £10 million for marketing over three years, providing companies in the industry match it.
Tobias said he would push for more money if he could demonstrate that it would benefit “UK plc”.
“We have already got a little bit extra,” he said. “Some people would see it as very small. I can accept that, but it’s better than nothing.
“There may be other opportunities to get more money, but you don’t get it by going in with a shotgun and a shopping list. We have to be seen as a responsible body.”
Mr Tobias is also pushing for the government to allow travel companies defer their tax for a few months, as happened during the foot and mouth crisis, to help them in the current climate.
“If we get it, part of my job will be to persuade small companies to take advantage of it. When it happened before, it was actually the big companies that did it because the small companies couldn’t be bothered. But it some cases it is simple and just a case of writing a letter to the government.”
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