COMPANIES RUSH TO JOIN ABTA AFTER XL COLLAPSE
Date published: 06 October 2008ABTA saw enquiries to join the Association double following the failure of the XL holiday group. ABTA received 32 joining details from travel companies from 22-26 September, as opposed to the weekly average of 15. The XL failure highlighted the importance of travelling with a financially protected reputable travel company; XL customers who travelled with tour operator sections of the group were able to continue with their holidays and were flown home free of charge, those that did not faced unpaid bills and having to buy replacement flight tickets.
Mark Tanzer ABTA Chief Executive said: “For over 50 years ABTA has stood for the highest levels of customer service and customer protection. In the current volatile climate customers are looking for the reassurance and confidence that booking with an ABTA travel expert will bring. More and more companies are looking to raise their game and benefit from the gold standard of the industry, ABTA membership”.
ABTA had already seen a steady rise in interest from applicants prior to the failure. In ABTA’s financial year 1 July 07 – 30 June 08, 45 per cent more companies applied to join the Association than over the previous 12 months. This reflects ABTA’s increased emphasis on improving its services to Members without compromising its commitment to the travelling public.
For further information
Sean Tipton, Communications Officer, tel: 020 7307 1902/1900 Mob: 07801 339526
Frances Tuke, Public Relations Manager, tel: 020 7307 1903/1900 Mob: 07850 712325
Casia Zajac, Head of Communications, tel: 020 7307 1987 Mob: 0791 2248904
Out of Hours: Contact the Duty Press Officer via pager: 07659 190987
E-mail: press@abta.co.uk
Web: www.abta.com
Notes to editors
ABTA was founded in 1950 and currently has over 1,400 members with 6,000 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.
