This document discusses the retail travel environment in the UK, including the types of travel retailers and recent trends in the industry. It notes that ABTA members, which include most major travel companies, employ over 120,000 people in the UK. The largest travel firms employ over 27,000 people each. Recent trends include travel agencies consolidating into larger multiples or consortia to achieve economies of scale and compete with internet retailers. Integration through mergers and acquisitions allows larger operations to cut costs.

1. The Retail Travel Environment