With only 4 months until the World Cup kicks off in South Africa, ABTA is reminding Members to sign up to ABTA Travel Buddy, a free email and mobile SMS text service which enables them to provide essential holiday information to customers at all stages of their booking home and away. 

The ABTA Travel Buddy email puts together Foreign Office 'Know Before You Go' and destination information for holidaymakers before they travel, and, in emergency circumstances will provide text messages paid for by the FCO so that customers can be provided with essential information and guidance when in their destination. 

With an estimated 50,000 English footie fans heading to South Africa, many of whom may not have travelled outside of Europe before, Travel Buddy is an ideal and convenient way of giving these customers essential travel information and advice.

The email helps ABTA Members provide information that’s required under the ABTA Code of Conduct in a clear format and includes details of FCO advice, reminders about the importance of travel insurance and, when appropriate, recommendations to visit a health professional before travel. The email also has space for ABTA Members' own essential travel information.

Nikki White ABTA Head of Destination Services said “We all hope England’s trip to South Africa will be a glorious success and ABTA Travel Buddy is a great way to help ensure your footie fan customers’ trips will be too. It’s free of charge and an ideal way to pass on essential up to date travel information. It’s a win win situation for everyone.”

To find out more or sign up to Travel Buddy ABTA Members should contact destinations@abta.co.uk Tel: 0203 117 0590.