ABTA clarifies financial protection role to customers
One million copies of a consumer leaflet and poster highlighting ABTA’s financial safeguards are being sent out to agents.
The objective is to explain exactly what the association’s financial protection scheme covers and what documentation holidaymakers need to have to ensure their money and holiday is safe if a member fails.
ABTA chief executive Ian Reynolds said: “Booking with ABTA companies gives customers confidence that their money is safe but the holiday industry continues to change at a rapid pace and this has resulted in an increasing number of holiday products on the market that are not financially protected.
“It has become important to spell out to customers how they can benefit from the added value that booking with an ABTA company gives them, but also how important it is that they are able to prove which company they are in contract with.”
The need to fully disclose details of the suppliers for whom travel agents are acting is an established legal requirement, ABTA said.
But as bookings have become more complicated, it is increasingly important that clients know which company is responsible for their booking in case they have any complaints or if either the supplier or the agent goes out of business, according to the association.
Guidelines of what documentation ABTA members have to produce has been posted on ABTA’s website: www.abtamembers.org/legal ‘Guidance note on travel documentation for travel agents’.
Report by Phil Davies
Phil Davies
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