21 Dec
2017

ABTA launches 2018 Travel with confidence campaign

ABTA - the Travel Association will launch its 2018 Travel with confidence national advertising campaign on 26 December 2017, to coincide with the industry’s busiest sales period of the year.

The campaign aims to raise awareness of ABTA’s Travel with confidence brand and encourage people to book with an ABTA Member. It initially targets families and over 55s across the peak booking season, and then 18-35 year olds and business travel audiences later in the year.

This year’s campaign creatives tap into the social media trend of taking ‘feet selfies’ - where people post photos of their feet while on their travels.  Images from different destinations will feature in the campaign – demonstrating the wide range of holidays and locations on offer from ABTA Members.

It carries a strapline saying ‘we’re with you every step of the way,’ highlighting how the benefits of booking with an ABTA Member span the customer’s holiday from start to finish. This includes how ABTA’s code of conduct makes sure that when planning a trip customers have accurate information, and in the unlikely event something goes wrong with their holiday, they can access help to make a complaint.

National advertising will make sure the campaign messages reach ABTA’s target audiences including:

  • Engaging families through Facebook advertising and a partnership with Made for Mums – a parenting website with 9.7 million page impressions a month.
  • A dedicated campaign with The Telegraph to reach over 55s.
  • A social media campaign across Facebook, Instagram and YouTube which speaks to 18-35s.
  • Targeted advertising to reach people who frequently book business travel arrangements.

ABTA will also support the campaign through a hub on its website providing holidaymakers with tips on how to travel with confidence. There will also be social media activity with the hashtag #beABTAsmart and a competition.

Victoria Bacon, ABTA’s Director of Brand and Business Development said:

“As thousands of travellers start to plan and book their holidays for 2018 we’re reminding people of the importance of booking with an ABTA Member, to ensure they travel with confidence and have access to expertise, support and protection.

“Being with you every step of the way links to the benefits that booking with an ABTA Member provides before, during and after a holiday, through a range of services from ensuring customers get the holiday they book under ABTA’s code of conduct, through to supporting complaints handling if something goes wrong. 

“Our Members offer a diverse range of holidays from sunshine breaks in Sicily to historic trips to Malta, and we are keen to reflect that in this year’s campaign.

“I’d really encourage all ABTA Members to get behind the campaign by using the Travel with confidence logo in their advertising, and we also have social media content Members can download and use across their own channels.”

ABTA is the UK’s largest travel association, representing travel agents and tour operators that sell £37 billion of holidays and other travel arrangements each year.

ABTA has achieved Business Superbrand status for the last 12 years and was voted a Consumer Superbrand for the first time in 2017.  Research also reveals that 3 in 4 people recognise the ABTA logo and 73% of people say ABTA membership is essential when booking a holiday.

ABTA is also highly valued by businesses when booking travel; 4 in 5 managers say booking business travel arrangements through an ABTA member is important or very important.