Westoe Travel’s Graeme Brett to contest principal seat on Abta board

Westoe Travel director Graeme Brett is to contest the position of principal member with under £50 million turnover on the Abta board against current member Jamie Gardiner.

News of the ballot comes as Britaly Travel director Daniele Broccoli is re-elected to Abta’s board of directors as member with turnover of less than £20 million. He has been on the board since 2006.

It follows recent news Henbury Travel owner Richard Slater will join the board  in September.

Brett will be up against current board member Jamie Gardiner, founder of Diverse World, who currently holds the position of principal member with a turnover of not more than £50 million. He joined the board in 2017.

Traditionally, principal positions on Abta’s board are held by tour operators. Brett is seeking election as owner of tour operation Rail Adventures, part of his travel agency business Westoe Travel, based in South Shields. It is the first time he has stood for election to the Abta board of directors but he has been North East regional chair for Abta’s Council of Regions for three years.

A ballot will now be held to elect one of the two candidates to the board.

Members who are eligible to vote – principal members with turnover not more than £50 million – have been sent an email with notice of the ballot for the position on the board of directors with the CVs and election statements of the two candidates and how to vote online.

Ballot forms went out at the end of last week, and the closing date for voting is August 17.

Following an invitation for nominations for Abta’s Council of Regions the following representatives have been elected: Sandra Corkin, of Oasis Travel, Northern Ireland; Helen Tustin, Church Village Travel Worldchoice, South Wales; Roddie MacPhee, Barrhead Travel Service Ltd, Scotland; and Helen Parry, Arundel Travel, Yorkshire & North Midlands.

A vacancy on the board for a member to represent principal businesses with a turnover of more than £50 million has not attracted any nominations.

An Abta spokesman said: “Representatives of a number of tour operators within that category are on the Board of Directors. The specific vacancy has arisen due to the fluctuations in member’s turnover levels as a result of the pandemic. That position will be kept under review as members continue to rebuild and turnover recovers to more normal levels.”