For most people their holiday is the highlight of the year. A time to rest, relax, and enjoy getting away from it all. So, whether you’re voyaging to the far-flung shores of Africa or flying to the sunny beaches of Spain, it’s important that everything runs as smoothly as possible.

There is a way that you can help make your holiday a success. A way to minimise the risk of a problem, and maximise your enjoyment.

Just look for the ABTA sign when you book your holiday.

ABTA – the Association of British Travel Agents – is the organisation which represents UK travel agents and tour operators responsible for the sale of around over 90% of package holidays and approximately 45% of independent travel arrangements. It’s ABTA’s role to ensure that you, the customer, benefit from consistently high standards of trading practice in the travel industry; that the standards of service and business throughout the membership are of the highest calibre. As such, ABTA’s famous symbol has come to represent choice and value.

Book With Confidence

ABTA Members operate under our strict Code of Conduct, to promote your best interests. So, when you see the ABTA symbol in an ABTA Member’s brochure or on their website, you can be confident that the descriptions of your travel arrangements have been compiled under comprehensive guidelines set by us to ensure clarity and accuracy.

We apply just the same amount of care when checking our Members’ finances, too, reducing the risk of anything going wrong.

Better Service at No Extra Cost

The Code of Conduct means that every one of our travel agents and tour operators has to work to the highest standards of service and quality. When you deal with an ABTA travel agent, we require them to give you comprehensive advice on things like insurance, visas, passports, health requirements, and any alterations to your travel arrangements.

We also require that each Member’s office contains properly qualified staff.

It’s very reassuring to be able to book with this kind of peace of mind .

Complaints Resolved

Complaints about holidays are best dealt with on the spot by the tour operator’s staff. But, if you’re still not happy, raise the problem with your travel agent or tour operator when you get home. Our Code ensures that ABTA Members respond to any complaint within strict time limits.

If you can’t resolve a dispute, we offer a low-cost independent arbitration service.

Financial Security

Many of the travel arrangements provided by ABTA Members are protected in case of the financial failure of the travel company. Ask your ABTA Member if protection applies to your travel arrangements. Where travel arrangements aren’t already protected, most ABTA Members will be able to offer suitable insurance to cover you.

Quality That Shows

It’s not just our service standards and strict Code of Conduct that make ABTA travel agents and tour operators stand out from the crowd. The fact is, we’re highly visible too, because all ABTA Members display the ABTA sign in their windows, on their letterheads, on their brochures and websites, and on their advertising too. So it’s easy to pick out the right people to deal with when you want to arrange your holiday.

BOOK WITH CONFIDENCE WHERE YOU SEE OUR SIGN

ABTA, 68-71 Newman Street, London W1T 3AH
Email: abta@abta.co.uk
Tel: 020 7637 2444
Fax: 020 7637 0713

Last updated: 21 August 2006