Web travel companies to berate ABTA advert

Internet firms plan to chastise association’s campaign at Kos convention

Internet firms plan to chastise association’s campaign at Kos convention

Web travel companies to berate ABTA advert

Report by LOUISELONGMAN

INTERNET travel companies are to launch an attack on ABTA during its convention in Kos on Friday, following the association’s controversial ‘Don’t be dot conned’ advert.

The advert was launched earlier this month to warn the public of the dangers of booking travel with unregulated Web firms.

But the image of an SOS message in a bottle and the ‘Don’t be dot conned’ headline has angered Internet travel companies.

Virgin.com/travel deputy managing director Ed Sims said: “ABTA might just as well run a campaign that says don’t book on-line. I am in favour of a campaign that supports ABTA but I don’t understand why one distribution channel has been singled out.”

Sims said he would use the ABTA conference as a platform to air his views.

“There will be an interesting debate on the impact of e-commerce on the conference’s first day and I will be at the front asking questions.”

Sims’ comments were backed by Ebookers.com chief executive officer Dinesh Dhamija: “What can I say?” he said. “I don’t like it. I’m sure it wasn’t meant as an attack on dot-com companies but that’s the way it looks.”

Travelchest.com chief executive Nigel Carpenter, who is also speaking on e-commerce, said: “I support consumer protection but I have slight concerns that the headline could prove negative for a lot of Web businesses. It suggests ABTA is not embracing the Internet age.”

An ABTA spokesman defended the campaign. He said: “If you read the advert, it clearly states we are not attacking the dot-com companies.”

The spokesman denied the campaign was the result of agents’ fears about losing business to Internet companies.