DBT to axe price threshold proposal Ian Taylor


The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) is ready to drop its proposal of a price threshold for protecting holidays under the Package Travel Regulations (PTRs) while retaining changes welcomed by the trade. However, there is no indication


of how soon the reform will move forward, in part because of the impact of the Post Office IT scandal. The proposal for a minimum


price threshold was included in a Call for Evidence on PTRs reform issued last autumn. Craig Belshaw, DBT assistant


director for consumer policy, confirmed the idea “has not received a positive response” when he


addressed the Abta Travel Finance Conference last month, and said: “It’s an area we’re not likely to pursue.” He noted that the DBT is “still


looking at” a proposal to exclude domestic packages from the PTRs, with “some aspects better received than others” in responses to the Call for Evidence. Protection is expected to be retained for domestic packages that include transport. Belshaw reported that the


department received more than 150 submissions and said: “We’re really pleased by the response.” The DBT will present feedback


to ministers by April, he said. But Belshaw noted: “They’re busy, what with the small business of the Post Office, so it’s unclear when we’ll be able to say something more.”


MSC lauds agents as it plans to host 2,000 this year


Josie Klein


MSC Cruises’ sales director for the UK and Ireland has hailed agents as the “backbone” of the line, saying the performance of the trade during wave has prompted it to release its “biggest-ever” ship visit programme for 2024. Steve Williams told Travel Weekly


the line had broken “many sales records” during the wave period, and the UK and Irish market was trading 30% up year on year. MSC Cruises recently announced


it would redeploy MSC Opera from its planned Red Sea season to the


6 14 MARCH 2024


Canary Islands for winter 2024-25 due to a risk to shipping in the region. Williams said UK agents had performed “phenomenally well” since the new itineraries went on sale two weeks ago. “We’re seeing such a strong


demand for those new sailings and we view MSC Opera as a strategic, core ship for the UK and Irish markets,” he said. “I think we’ll be coming back for winter 2025-26 because that’s what our agents want.” MSC Cruises aims to host more


than 2,000 agents this year in its “biggest-ever” ship visit programme, Williams said.


MSC Virtuosa Inset: Steve Williams He added the line had already


welcomed more than 300 agents on board since the start of the year, but it would continue to “ramp up” visits, as they are “categorically” the most valuable way of educating the trade. “We want to have in excess of


2,000 agents on board this year, which is far more than we’ve ever had, because we want to support our agent partners who really are the backbone of our business,” he said.


“We’re working smarter to ensure


we get the right agents on the right ships and measuring the results we see from those agents afterwards.” MSC Cruises opens sales for its


summer 2026 ex-UK programme on March 14, the first time it has had three summer seasons on sale at one time. MSC Virtuosa will homeport


in Southampton for the sixth consecutive year, with sailings ranging from two to 14 nights.


travelweekly.co.uk


Ministers are busy, what with the Post Office, so it’s unclear when we’ll be able to say something more


Referring to a proposal to


clarify the right of travel organisers to refunds from suppliers for cancellations, Belshaw said: “We’re keen to look at ways to make that more practical.” But he warned: “It will be challenging.” Abta director of legal affairs


Simon Bunce noted the proposal to remove domestic packages from the PTRs was “driven by complaints by the UK hospitality


sector, which believes it’s hampered by the regulations”. He said: “The problem is the


regulations don’t just provide financial protection. You could only include packages that include transport, but questions would be asked as soon as we get a significant failure.” Bunce noted Abta is arguing for


two issues not raised by the Call for Evidence to be addressed: “One, the anomaly to come out of the X vs Kuoni [Supreme Court case] where a hotel was considered not liable for an assault on a customer, but the tour operator was found liable. “Second, the 2018 regulations


extending the liability of organisers when a holiday is cut short due to no fault of the operator.”


PICTURE: Steve Dunlop


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