She moves into a new, expanded role as John de Vial moves to focus on the delivery of ABTA’s strategic plan
ABTA has promoted Rachel Jordan to director of membership and financial protection. The move sees Rachel take on overall responsibility for membership onboarding and management, in additional to her existing financial protection role.
Rachel’s enhanced brief comes as John de Vial, ABTA’s current director of financial protection and financial services, moves to focus on major initiatives supporting the delivery of ABTA’s strategic plan. Both Rachel and John will report to ABTA chief executive, Mark Tanzer.
He said: “Our members are ABTA’s beating heart and in Rachel they will have an extremely capable new director of membership and financial protection, supporting them as we move into travel’s restart and beyond.”
ABTA has also announced that Alice Catterall, its director of partnerships and events, is to leave in the summer to take on a managing director position in the private sector.
Mark Tanzer added: “Alice has been an excellent leader of a varied and vibrant industry events programme that is highly valued not just by our members but the wider industry, too. The successful transition from in-person events to virtual formats during the pandemic has enabled ABTA to stay in touch and relevant to our members. For the past few years, Alice has also managed the ABTA partner scheme – ABTA partners have provided much needed additional support and advice to our members during the coronavirus pandemic and are an essential part of the ABTA community.”
The Save Future Travel Coalition has written to Oliver Dowden asking for targeted support for the UK’s travel and tourism industry
The Save Future Travel Coalition has written to Oliver Dowden, secretary of state for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, to urge the swift development of a tourism recovery plan to support the UK’s travel and tourism industry.
The development of such a plan was recommended by the Global Travel Taskforce last November and was referenced again in the Taskforce’s report earlier this month. In their letter, the Save Future Travel Coalition stresses that the plan must be developed without delay, and must recognise the significant value of both outbound and inbound tourism, as part of the UK’s overall tourism mix.
Emma Wade, public affairs manager at ABTA, one of the Coalition partners, said: “It is important that this plan is developed without delay, outlining clearly how the international travel industry will be supported as the UK’s recovery progresses. Within it, the tourism recovery plan should demonstrate how, through financial support to the sector, government can level the playing field with our direct competitors across Europe who have received such support, and also UK industries such as hospitality, leisure and the arts.”
In the letter, the Coalition states that:
“The tourism recovery plan should recognise that every element of the UK’s tourism mix (domestic, inbound, and outbound) brings enormous benefits to the UK economy, UK businesses and UK residents,” adds Emma Wade, “and we look forward to hearing how government intends to move forward with its development.”
The Save Future Travel Coalition is made up of 15 leading travel bodies and campaign organisations which together represent the vast majority of outbound and inbound organised travel to the UK, they are: