ABTA defends Mark Warner’s lack of relevancy claim
Mark Warner Holidays quit its ABTA membership because it thought it “no longer relevantâ€.
The family holidays operator resigned from the organisation yesterday.
Managing director David Hopkins confirmed the news this morning, saying the move was prompted by the fact that all the protection necessary was provided by its ATOL.
Said Hopkins: “Our accommodation-only business has been declining for the last six years, and intentionally so. Now 98% of our business is covered under our ATOL. We are not an accommodation only provider and we don’t want to be. We are all about generating more business that is covered by our ATOL. We are fully regulated by the CAA and we just got to the point where ABTA membership was not relevant.â€
One agent contacting Travelmole said he thought the move was a sign of the times as more and more members of the public enquire about ATOL protection, rather than ABTA’s.
He said: “Over the last 12 months with many failures and natural disasters the word ATOL has become more used than the word ABTA. As an agent I am never asked are you ABTA protected but I am asked do you have an ATOL? Am I financially protected? More clients too also rely on Visa or Mastercard to make them feel safe, rightly or wrongly.
“Maybe tour operators are starting to ask the question what is the point of ABTA? If it is no longer so relevant to the customer is it relevant to tour operators and agencies?â€
But ABTA spokesman Sean Tipton said today: “The most recent ABTA Consumer Trends Survey taken in September 2010 found that ABTA is by far the most recognised UK travel association with 71% aware of the organisation. ATOL recognition was 48%.
“71% of the public also regard ABTA membership as essential or important when booking with only 12% seeing it as unimportant. This very clearly shows that ABTA membership is very relevant to running a successful business.”
by Dinah Hatch
Dinah
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