We are half way through the Autumn round of regional meetings and I am really pleased to report that we are seeing a significant increase in the number of Members attending, with some very positive feedback from attendees. We’ve listened to what Members have told us are the key issues affecting their businesses and, as a result, we are concentrating on the three very significant new pieces of legislation that will be coming into effect in 2018; the General Data Protection Regulation, the revised Package Travel Regulations and the requirement for businesses not to pass on card charges to customers. Most Members are up to speed on these very important issues, but not all, and I would strongly recommend that if you’re uncertain about what you need to do to prepare for these new laws, you should attend one of the regional meetings which are coming up in the next two months. The meetings are a two-way process – ABTA is there to share any updates and provide the latest guidance, while listening to questions and concerns raised and taking further action where appropriate. We have been doing just this in recent months in response to a reported increase in fake holiday sickness claims, raising awareness of the issue both with the Government and amongst the general public through our Stop Sickness Scams campaign. This work is beginning to bear fruit, and on Tuesday the Government announced in the House of Lords that it intends to ban Claims Management Companies (CMCs) from cold calling members of the public. This will remove one of the most successful tools for encouraging fraudulent claims and is a significant and very welcome advance in the industry’s fight against bogus claims.

Mark Tanzer, Chief Executive