On the Beach rejoins Abta after five years 

On the Beach has rejoined Abta, the OTA confirmed today (Monday).

The company resigned its membership during Covid in 2020 over the travel association policy of refunding customers when the Foreign Office advised against travel to a destination.

However, chief executive Shaun Morton confirmed the about-turn on the eve of the company releasing annual financial results on Tuesday.

He said: “Abta plays a key role in helping customers book with confidence and supporting a healthy, competitive UK travel industry. 

"We are committed to providing choice, value and protection for our customers and look forward to working alongside Abta and its members to champion customers and strengthen the travel sector overall.”

An Abta spokesperson said: “We are very pleased that On the Beach is an Abta member. A considerable player in the UK outbound travel market and a large Atol holder, we are sure they will make a valuable contribution to Abta membership and our wider activities.”

The Abta board affirmed in September 2020 its longstanding policy that Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCDO) advice against all but essential travel requires members to cancel bookings and offer customers full refunds last month.

It did so after On the Beach and two other OTAs declined to refund customers the flight element of package bookings to Spain unless the airline had cancelled the flight and made a refund.

In a statement to customers in August 2020, former On the Beach chief executive Simon Cooper said Abta is “an industry body of which membership for travel businesses is not mandatory”.