The Travel Trust Association is claiming a 50% rise in the number of enquiries from potential new members in April over the same time last year.
The figure emerged amid the row over refunds and proposed changes to the Package Travel Regulations to allow travel companies to issue Refund Credit Notes to defer the return of payments.
Parent The Travel Network Group later confirmed TTA had 60 enquiries this April, compared to 40 last year. A spokeswoman said the majority of enquiries were from established travel businesses, whereas last year the majority were from new start-up companies.
Abta has been pressing the Department of Business (BEIS) for a temporary suspension of the requirement to pay refunds for cancelled package bookings in 14 days.
The travel association is bidding to alleviate the pressure on otherwise healthy travel companies fighting for liquidity amid the coronavirus lockdown that has put the global travel industry on pause.
But Abta has faced criticism and the UK Competition and Markets Authority has voiced “particular concerns” about holiday refunds and cancellations and plans to set out further steps this week.
Gary Lewis, chief executive of The Travel Network Group, incorporating Travel Trust Association said: “We are humbled by the high number of enquiries coming through and we believe that the main reason behind these is the ongoing conversation around trust accounts and the future of financial protection for the travel industry.”
He added: “We feel that the whole industry will have to reflect on how customer money is used, irrespective of a final decision from the government around the PTRs.”
