ABTA has defended itself against accusations from a former board member that ending blanket protection for consumers will damage small independent retailers.
Andrew Dickson, who sold his Bolton-based St Andrews Travel last year and now runs SAT Business Travel Management, resigned from the board three months ago.
He believes ABTA’s decision not to pay to consumers directly when agencies fail and no booking has been made will drive holidaymakers to book direct with operators.
“Without the ABTA guaranteed offer of total financial protection the smaller independent travel agent will lose one of its main and unique selling points,” Dickson said.
“As a consumer you cannot be confident your money is safe until you have got the tour operator confirmation, and that can take two weeks. Do people really want to sit around for two weeks worrying?”
However, ABTA president Martin Wellings said he would not have supported any change that would harm small agent members and insisted the changes to financial membership rules announced last week will enable ABTA members to compete in a rapidly changing industry.
“All we ask of the consumer is to have evidence that a holiday has been booked. Confirming a booking these days is very quick. There have been more changes in the last five years than there have been in the last 30 and we have to change with the times.”
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