The Metropolitan Police has joined forces with Abta and ten travel groups to create a comprehensive guide to improving safety and security in the workplace for travel agency staff.
Advantage Travel Centres, American Express, Ilkeston Co-Op Travel, First Choice, Hays Travel, The Co-Operative Travel, Thomas Cook, Thomson, TTA and Worldchoice are members of the Travel Agent and Bureau Security Forum.
It has published the guide today (Thursday) giving clear and comprehensive advice on how to both minimise risk and best deal with an incident if it arises.
The guide provides agents a “structured and methodical” approach to safety but also highlights less obvious areas of concern which have arisen in past robberies.
For example, robbers have been known to hide in agency toilets so staff need make regular checks particularly before closing the shop, Abta warned.
Abta chairman and Advantage chief executive John McEwan said: “There are many types of crime that affect businesses but few affect a business and its staff in quite the same way as an armed robbery.
“This can be damaging to a business but more importantly, very traumatic for those people unfortunate enough to be caught up in it.
“The TABS Forum was set up with the aim of producing best practise for the industry on combating this type of crime and I am pleased to be part of the Forum in my roles at both Advantage and Abta.
“I can’t stress enough how important this advice is and would encourage travel agency staff at all levels to read this guide and help keep this type of crime out of our industry.”
Forum chairman Trevor Davis said: “I am delighted that this cross-industry panel has been formed to work together and reduce incidents that blight our industry.
“While many travel agents already have security measures in place, others may not and this guide to improving safety and security will be a useful tool which will help reduce crime against travel agents.”