P14-15 News mar6 4/3/09 14:41 Page 14
news Atols
ttglive.com
A new working party might have to do something radical if it is
to solve the financial protection crisis. Lee Hayhurst reports
Industry debates
wider Atol remit
THE FIRST meeting of a new travel industry nothing as yet that is sufficiently well developed.
working party looking at Atol reform met at “I am optimistic that we can make progress in
Abta’s new offices in London Bridge last week. sorting this out. We are looking, fundamentally,
Representatives from Abta, Aito, the FTO, at how the whole system can be changed.
Passenger Shipping Associ- “For the industry, the
ation (PSA) and other trade
“We are looking,
idea of financial protection,
bodies met with officials whether it is provided by a
from the CAA, which runs
fundamentally,
regulatory body or the in-
the Atol scheme, on
at how the
dustry itself, is important.”
Thursday. Tanzer said travel was
Abta is working on a
whole system
unique as it needed to
proposal to allow Atol’s
can be changed”
protect customers in ways
scope to be extended to other retail sectors did not.
include dynamic packaging, He rejected a suggestion
without agents being caught by the European that the APC levy system was flawed and should
Package Travel Directives. have been opposed because it favoured big
The prospect of non-air travel sales, currently companies (see opposite).
bonded by Abta, Aito and the PSA, being covered “When the CAA switched from bonding to the
by the CAA has also been under discussion. levy, it was actually the small operators that
The working party’s conclusions will form part wanted that because their bonding costs were
of the industry response to a CAA consultation relatively high,” he said.
on increasing the current £1 per person APC, Tanzer added that the CAA had given assur-
which is expected to start this month. ances that a £1 levy would be enough, even in a
Abta chief executive Mark Tanzer said: “We recession and after a big failure. “There will be
have got a number of ideas floating around but questions asked if it needs to go up,” he said.
Comment Sharon Holmes, Native Escapes
story about how a private nursery had
EVERY time Atols hit the news, the issues closed, leaving parents out of pocket as they
being discussed are complex. had paid upfront. Likewise, someone who
So complex, in fact, that the very people it purchases a new kitchen or puts a deposit on
sets out to protect – consumers – wouldn’t a new-build house stands to lose their money
have the slightest hope of grasping it. – unless they purchase insurance – should
Ask Joe Public what an Atol is, and you will that business go bankrupt prior to delivery.
probably be met with a blank stare. This seems And isn’t that the point? It seems the travel
to undermine the rationale – to prompt cus- industry has been singled out for spearhead-
tomers to make sure pre-payments are pro- ing the commercial nanny state we are
tected by purchasing through an Atol-holder. increasingly coming to accept as a norm.
Throw in the fact that if a customer buys a Why is it deemed necessary to protect
package holiday through an Atol agent using people travelling abroad, but not those who
a credit card, and purchases travel insurance want to put their children in nursery?
that includes supplier failure cover, they have, It is time that a fresh look is taken towards
in effect, paid three times for the same thing. this legislation, which is not working, is stran-
What nonsense. Last month, there was a gling the trade and confusing the end user.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72