Membership costs and requirements

Financial criteria

Your latest set of accounts will need to demonstrate:

• Net current asset surplus
• Net asset surplus
• Share capital surplus
   

Bonding and insurance premium

If you are required to provide security to ABTA for financial protection under ABTA’s Pipeline Protection scheme, the bond or insurance premium will be calculated based on the level of applicable risk turnover (ART). ART is defined as gross retail turnover adjusted by various reliefs where ABTA’s financial risk is reduced. For example, up to 97.5% of flight-only sales made under IATA BSP will be exempt from bonding. A full list of bond reliefs is available upon request.

You will also be required to pay a retail shortfall insurance premium. The insurance scheme will be used to pay claims in the event that the bond is insufficient.
 

Application, joining and membership costs

Application fee £750 plus VAT - payable with your completed application form
Joining fee £1,250 plus VAT - payable once an offer had been made
The annual subscription fee of £1,192 will cover the first £500k of gross turnover. And for example, £2m gross turnover will be £1,819*

All are subject to VAT. 

*Subscriptions are prorated from the time you join until 30 June as subscriptions are renewed on 1 July

General

If you are applying as a travel agent and a tour operator you only pay one set of joining fees.

If your company does not currently meet the ABTA financial criteria to become a Member trading as an Agent or as a Principal in your own right, you may still be able to meet the requirements of one of our existing Members that offer ‘managed branch’ facilities to start ups and existing travel businesses.   

ABTA Managed branches are operated on behalf of an ABTA Member by another company or individuals, who have entered into a managed branch agreement with an ABTA Member and conduct business on behalf of that Member.

The Member is responsible for the customers, turnover and liabilities to customers of the managed branch. The operator of the managed branch does not require ABTA membership in its own right – the managed branch receives a branch ABTA number by virtue of the Member’s Membership. There are now over 600 Managed Branches within ABTA Membership with retail agents and tour operators participating.

This will provide you with your own ABTA number and provide access to our services. The various managed branch operators compete with each other and offer different commercial terms – so you should research your options with each of the following ABTA Members.

More details can be found on our Members’ websites who provide this business model. They include:

• The Advantage Travel Partnership
• Barrhead Travel
• Broadway Travel 
• Hays Independent Group
• The Co-operative Travel Consortium. 

Financial criteria

Your latest set of accounts will need to demonstrate:

• Net current asset surplus
• Net asset surplus
• Share capital surplus
   

Bonding, insurance premium

If you choose to provide security by way of a bond held by ABTA, the bond will be calculated following the analysis of the bond application forms with the minimum requirement being 15% of projected turnover.

You will also be required to pay a principal shortfall insurance premium. The insurance scheme will be used to pay claims in the event that the bond is insufficient.

Application, joining and membership costs

Application fee £750 plus VAT - payable with your completed application form
Joining fee £1,250 plus VAT - payable once an offer had been made
The annual subscription fee of £1,192 will cover the first £500k of gross turnover. And for example, £2m gross turnover will be £1,819*

All are subject to VAT. 

*Subscriptions are prorated from the time you join until 30 June as subscriptions are renewed on 1 July