ABTA launches ‘Stop Sickness Scams’ lobbying tool
ABTA is asking people to support its newly-launched Stop Sickness Scams campaign by writing to their MP – and the association is making it easy by providing template letters.
By visiting www.stopsicknessscams.com and entering their postcode to find their local MP, people will be able to email the politician directly using a pre-prepared email template.
There are two emails available, one for travel industry employees and business owners and one for members of the public.
Travel companies are being asked to encourage their staff, suppliers, customers, friends and family to use the tool and to contact their MP.
The emails will ask individual MPs to write to Justice Secretary, David Lidington MP, asking him to close the claims loophole that encourages claims management companies (CMCs) to target the travel industry.
They explain how the situation has now reached a critical point, and unless tackled there will be serious consequences; holiday prices could increase, and choice for honest holidaymakers could be reduced as hoteliers refuse to offer their products to the UK market.
To close the claims loophole the campaign is calling for a simple amendment to court rules, to enable holiday sickness claims to be included in a fixed costs regime, which will reduce the incentive for CMCs to bring these cases.
This approach should be implemented quickly and would begin to reduce the problem of spurious or exaggerated sickness claims immediately.
ABTA CEO Mark Tanzer said: "It is essential that the Ministry of Justice takes action to close the claims loophole and stop sickness scams.
"We need the Government to address the exclusion of overseas claims from a fixed costs regime and I would strongly urge everyone in the industry to use this simple tool to contact their local MP and add their voice to the campaign."
Lisa
Lisa joined Travel Weekly nearly 25 years ago as technology reporter and then sailed around the world for a couple of years as cruise correspondent, before becoming deputy editor. Now freelance, Lisa writes for various print and web publications, edits Corporate Traveller’s client magazine, Gateway, and works on the acclaimed Remembering Wildlife series of photography books, which raise awareness of nature’s most at-risk species and helps to fund their protection.
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