ABTA Comments on the European Commission’s plans for revising the 1990 Package Travel Directive
Date published: 09 March 2010Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection John Dalli gave an update yesterday on the Commission's work on the revision of the Package Travel Directive.
ABTA Chief Executive Mark Tanzer said:
“We are encouraged that the EU has taken notice of the submissions ABTA made through the consultation process of the review of the Package Travel Directive and we welcome the comments that have come out of yesterday’s discussion.
Particularly welcome is the concern raised by both the Commission and MEPs for airline insolvency to be covered by European law. For too long airlines have been allowed to trade without protecting the monies they take from consumers in advance of travel. This puts consumers at risk of financial loss and places tour operators at a significant competitive disadvantage. The planned extension of the scope of the directive has long been our priority.
“However, this is just the start of the formulation of a new European law and we will be working to ensure that the new Directive meets the concerns of the travel industry and its customers both now and in the future taking account of future technological and trading developments.
“We now have a timetable for the process of this new law and ABTA will be lobbying hard to make sure that Members will, in future, be trading in a regulatory environment that meets their needs and the needs of their customers. ABTA’s Head of Public Affairs Luke Pollard and I will be going to Brussels next week to continue with this process which will have a very significant impact on our Members’ business and the rights of the travelling public.”
For further information
Sean Tipton, Senior Press 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 1,351 members with 5,700 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 works to represent the interests of its Members to government and key opinion formers in the UK and EU.
