ABTA welcomed today’s announcement by Aviation Minister Jim Fitzpatrick that Air Travel Organiser Licence [ATOL] bonds should be replaced by a £1 levy. Mr FitzPatrick stated that “in principle” a levy scheme should be introduced from 1 April 2008.
Mark Tanzer ABTA Chief Executive said ” We welcome the Government’s decision in principle to approve a £1 levy to replace ATOL bonding. This is the first step in a long overdue reform of consumer financial protection in the travel industry, and ABTA will keep up pressure for further reform and simplification. While we await further details of the scheme we look forward to working with the CAA to ensure a smooth rollout.”
ABTA was founded in 1950 and currently has 1,600 members with 6,300 outlets. Members include travel agents, tour operators and support services right across the spectrum from small family-owned businesses to the largest tour operators.
ABTA is the largest travel association in the UK and its members provide 90% of the foreign package holidays in the UK as well as selling millions of independent travel arrangements.
As part of its comprehensive package of services to members, ABTA, as a non-party political organisation, also provides an effective voice to represent the interests of its Members to government and key opinion formers at the highest levels. In the UK, these include, government ministers, constituency MPs, Select Committee members, senior civil servants and members of the political opposition parties in both Westminster and the devolved administrations in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
In Europe, ABTA is forming close ties with members of the European Parliament, the European Commission and staff within the Director Generals’ Secretariats. ABTA works in partnership with ECTAA (the European grouping of travel agents and tour operators’ associations) to lobby on interests relevant to its Members.
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