LTAs to be axed from package rules Ian Taylor


The government has confirmed Linked Travel Arrangements (LTAs) will be removed from the Package Travel Regulations (PTRs), with legislation to be enacted by June next year. It has also confirmed that


Regulation 29 of the PTRs, which deals with redress for tour operators when services are cancelled, will be amended “to help package travel organisers recover costs from suppliers more effectively”. However, the Department for


Business and Trade (DBT) has dropped most of the other proposals for reform, including that of removing UK domestic


packages from the regulations. The changes, announced by the


DBT in its response to an industry consultation that ran from April to June, should prove welcome to most, although the immediate reaction was mixed. Aito expressed disappointment that the department had not gone further, saying it had hoped for a “more proportionate legal framework …to ease unnecessary regulatory burdens” for tour operators. However, both Abta and the


Association of Bonded Travel Organisers Trust (Abtot) welcomed the limited changes, with Abta pleased the government had recognised the regulations “generally work well” and there is “no need for a major overhaul


ASA urges firms to consult guidance on ‘green’ advertising


Phil Davies


The advertising watchdog has urged travel firms to work with it to promote their sustainability credentials, after finding most agents who attempted to do so are falling foul of rules on environmental claims. The Advertising Standards


Authority (ASA) found 99% of adverts from firms designated as travel agents made no reference to sustainability. But of those that did, more than half (56%) were “likely to break the rules”. Of the 362,000 adverts monitored by the ASA’s AI- based system between August 2024


4 4 DECEMBER 2025


and June 2025, just 319 featured green claims. Of those, 213 ads from 23 advertisers appeared likely to break the rules, “often due to vague, broad or unsupported claims”. Problematic claims included


those using absolute terms such as “eco-friendly” or “green”; those lacking essential context or evidence for comparisons; and those using broad terms such as “carbon conscious” or “eco-resort”. The ASA said the lack of genuine


environment-focused messages in advertising “suggested a missed opportunity and potential advertiser uncertainty about making green claims”, as it called on firms to make


use of resources and training it has created on the subject. The statement reiterated


comments made by the authority’s operations manager for complaints, Justine Grimley, who told Travel Weekly’s Sustainability Summit last year that travel firms must plot a path “between greenwashing and greenhushing”. Travel companies that have


previously fallen foul of the rules on sustainability messaging in adverts include Wizz Air, Barrhead Travel, Celebrity Cruises and OTA eDreams. The ASA said: “Informative


and accurate environmental claims help consumers make better, more


There was no single


consensus on how best to proceed [on the remaining proposals]


that would place increased burdens on travel companies”. The DBT had already stripped


back its initial, wide-ranging proposals included in a call for evidence in 2023. The consultation pared these down to the removal of domestic packages unless they include transport; simplifying, removing or leaving alone the regulations on LTAs; allowing more flexibility in insolvency protection; relaxing the territorial restrictions on insurance cover; and


changing how ‘other tourist services’ fall within the rules. The department has decided


to absorb Type A LTAs, involving two or more services booked with individual providers on a single contact with a point of sale, into the definition of a package. But type B LTAs, where a trader facilitates booking of a second service from another trader within 24 hours, will no longer fall within the regulations. In its response on the remaining


proposals, the DBT noted: “There was no single consensus on how best to proceed.” It said the government will


implement these reforms by June and “consider how best to treat other issues highlighted in the consultation”.


n


E


responsible choices. They also highlight the steps organisations are taking to reduce their impact. “At present, very few agent


adverts make environmental claims, suggesting a missed opportunity and potential advertiser uncertainty about how to go about making green claims.” It added: “Many businesses are


taking steps to reduce their environmental impact and want to tell customers about that. Our role is to help them do that in a way that is clear, accurate and supported by evidence. “We are encouraging travel agents


interested in making environmental claims to consult our guidance, advice and training.”


travelweekly.co.uk


S


s


t


u


l


E


s


i


C


t


b


I


a I


a


i


D


i


P


y


A


L


T


I


O


N


PICTURE: Shutterstock/Billion Photos


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