Schools warned of danger of booking overseas trips with non-ABTA members
Schools are being urged only to book overseas travel with ABTA members after one school lost thousands of pounds raised for a trip to Mount Kilimanjaro when their tour operator, which wasn’t a member, collapsed.
ABTA said almost three-quarters of UK families expect a company that organised school travel to be a member of the Association.
It also warned schools that if they organise trips themselves by booking transport, accommodation and other services separately, they might be liable under the Package Travel Regulations (PTR) to offer legal and financial protection.
Victoria Bacon, ABTA’s director of brand and business development, said: "School trips provide pupils with lifelong memories and often an opportunity to explore a place they’ve never been to before.
"However, it can be a time consuming and sometimes daunting process for teachers to arrange these trips, and the new Package Travel Regulations means that if a trip is booked in a certain way, the school could be held liable should there be a problem.
"There are lots of ABTA school travel specialist companies who can take these responsibilities off the hands of teachers and pull together a trip which provides a great education experience as well as offering the support, protection and expertise that comes with booking with an ABTA approved travel company.
"With this peace of mind teachers can travel with confidence, knowing their students are in good hands and able to enjoy their travel experience to the full."
There are more than 100 school travel organisers who are ABTA members and, in addition to financial protection, they offer teachers ‘expertise, knowledge and insight in developing an enjoyable educational experience’, said the Association.
ABTA approved travel companies also have access to the association’s support and expertise – including 24-hour crisis support – and schools can benefit from ABTA’s independent complaints process should they need it, it added.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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