THE CO-OPERATIVE TRAVEL SIGNS UP TO GREEN INITIATIVE
Date published: 29 June 2009The Co-operative Travel, is the latest travel business to sign up to the Travelife Sustainability System, a sustainable tourism tool which is supported by a growing number of European trade associations, including ABTA’s Federation of Tour Operators.
The Travelife seal of approval is featured throughout the soon-to-be-launched Co-operative Travel summer holiday brochure - in destinations including the Mediterranean Coast, Cyprus, Florida and Mexico – as the business prepares for its inaugural season as a tour operator.
By actively implementing Travelife, The Co-operative Travel is further demonstrating its commitment to protecting the environment and welfare of the countries its customers visit. Travelife is a simple, easy to use system that enables businesses to actively promote sustainable working practices in their own work and also that of their suppliers.
The Co-operative Travel joins a growing list of Travelife users, including TUI, Thomas Cook, Virgin Holidays and Cosmos in the UK and the municipality of Calvia in Mallorca which contains the world’s largest concentration of hotel beds at 60,000. The system is available to users throughout the world and TUI Netherlands, Thomas Cook Belgium and ABTA equivalents in Belgium, Holland and Germany are Travelife users.
Chris Thompson Head of Responsible Tourism for the FTO said “We are delighted that The Co-operative Travel has joined the Travelife family, once more clearly demonstrating their deep commitment to the environment and sustainability. Travelife itself goes from strength to strength as the leading global travel sustainability system.”
For further information contact Chris Thompson cthompson@abta.co.uk
Travelife is a wholly owned subsidiary of ABTA.
For further information
Sean Tipton, Communications Officer, tel: 020 3117 0513,Frances Tuke, Public Relations Manager, tel: 020 3117 0514, Mobile 07850 712 325,
Casia Zajac, Head of Communications, tel: 020 3117 0515, Mobile: 07545 927 411
Out of Hours: Contact the Duty Press Officer via pager: 07659 190 987
E-mail: press@abta.co.uk
Web: www.abta.com
Notes to editors
ABTA – The Travel Association was founded in 1950 and currently has 1,415 members with 5,900 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.
In 2008 ABTA merged with the Federation of Tour Operators [FTO], thereby cementing its role as the leading travel association and increasing benefits for both ABTA and FTO members. Both the ABTA brand which is highly recognised by consumers and the FTO brand which is well known in destinations will be retained.
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
