That was the opinion of Julia Lo Bue-Said, chief executive of Advantage Travel Partnership group, speaking at the Barclays Travel Forum in London.
She said the sector needed to do more if it wished to encourage young people into travel.
“We’ve got a real opportunity to get the best talent in our industry. If we showcase this industry as a low paid, inflexible industry we’re not going to do that.
“We need to think creatively to attract best talent,” she added.
Elsewhere, Lo Bue-Said discussed the need for a dedicated outbound travel minister and said she had been helping to create an outbound travel think tank which would consider whether to campaign for the role.
She added it wasn’t just the creation of a dedicated minister that needed to be considered, but also how high their ranking would be within government.
“The level and ranking attributed to this role would worry us. If we can broaden the understanding of this industry in government that will help.
“I’m not naive,” she added. “We might not look as important as other sectors but that doesn’t mean we can’t give it a go.”
Asked if this should be something other industry bodies should campaign on, Lo Bue-Said insisted bodies such as Abta, ITT and Aito had played a significant role in championing the sector within government.
However, she acknowledged: “What’s missing is that we haven’t got a voice that is genuinely across every part of the industry. Not every travel agent is an Abta member for instance. We have so many different components in the industry. We need a holistic umbrella that encapsulates the outbound travel sector.”
