AITO welcomes two new business affiliates

The Association of Independent Tour Operators (AITO, www.aito.com) is pleased to announce its partnership with two new business affiliates – marketing automation platform, Force24, and business growth, mergers and acquisitions advisory, Summit Advisory.

AITO’s Executive Director, Kate Kenward says: “We are delighted to welcome two important business affiliates to the AITO group, both coming with a great understanding of the travel industry and the experience required to support our travel specialist members in the areas of technology platforms and business growth.”

Force24 is a UK-built-and-managed GDPR-compliant marketing automation platform, specialising in the travel and tourism sector. Force24’s next generation technology exists to drive greater marketing efficiencies, customer engagement and ROI. The platform brings personalised, multichannel marketing campaigns to life, with the team’s own marketing experts on hand to offer creative guidance or strategic input, if needed.

Commercial Director Nick Washbourne says: “AITO exists to ensure the highest levels of consumer trust and holiday satisfaction, and membership brings us one step closer to the tour operators and travel specialists who prioritise such standards.

“We have our own codes of conduct and marketing standards at Force24, which sees us boast a highly qualified team of specialists in their own field. But, with an established reputation in the travel sector, we think it’s important to demonstrate our industry-specific knowledge and expertise here too. There’s no better way to do this than with membership of a professional body that promotes best practice and brings like-minded people together to collaborate.”

Summit Advisory is the business growth, mergers and acquisitions arm of the UK’s leading independent firm of Travel Accountants, Elman Wall. Founding Directors Jonathan Wall and Deborah Potts are specialists in helping travel business owners grow, buy a business or sell their own business, combining years of travel industry accounting expertise with ‘hands on’ travel entrepreneurship.

Deborah Potts, Founding Director, says “Niche specialist tour operators with clear customer value propositions have never been more in demand. We are experiencing strong interest, particularly from overseas travel companies, in addition to UK travel businesses, backed by private equity. AITO tour operators and agencies match many of their criteria.

If owners do not want to sell, but seek to improve their profits and overcome barriers to growth, we know we can, equally, help them, as many of our previous clients have testified.”

All AITO members are fully bonded, comply with AITO’s Quality Charter and aim to offer the best customer service.

For more information on AITO or AITO Specialist Travel Agents, or for high-res photos, please contact Sue Ockwell or Jackie Franklin on 020 8891 4440 or email s.ockwell@travelpr.co.uk or j.franklin@travelpr.co.uk.