The trade body believes the move will give a wider range of members a say in its affairs and increase representation of its members.

Under the new rules, agents operating managed branch offices can put themselves forward for roles on Abta committees and the Council of Regions. Previously, only Abta members could stand for election.

The change follows a resolution passed at an extraordinary general meeting on 23 May.

Abta said the change opens up opportunities to those who run its 400-plus managed branch members. 

Danny Waine, head of membership at Abta, said: “We’re really pleased to open up the opportunities to be involved in Abta to travel agent members who operate under managed branch agreements.

“This means that if you run one of these businesses, you’ll now be able to put yourself forward for roles such as vacancies on Abta committees or the Council of Regions.”

Waine explained the managed branch model had been “a developing trend for many years”.

“We’ve seen businesses move from being a member in their own right to one under a managed branch agreement, but prior to now, these members couldn’t take on official Abta roles, meaning we were missing out on the contribution of fantastic people,” he said.

“Now we have changed this, we have the opportunity to harness the talent within the managed branch groups, capitalising on people’s experience and expertise, to contribute to Abta’s work.” 

He added: “When future opportunities arise, I really encourage managed branch members to consider putting themselves forward.”