The newly formed Association of Travel Agents (ATA) has challenged Abta to ballot members on their attitude to package travel reform.
In a statement released today ATA accuses Abta of pursuing a position in Europe that is “not compatible with the increasingly common agent business model”.
The group, formed a month ago, is alarmed at the prospect the European Commission will extend the existing Package Travel Directive to bring sales of a flight and room within the package travel regulations – thereby extending the liabilities of tour operators to agents who dynamically package.
The ATA includes leading online travel agents (OTAs) and bed banks – Travel Republic, On the Beach, Lowcost Holidays, On Holiday Group and Alpha Rooms – as well as businesses that combine online and high street selling: The Travel Network Group, Barrhead Travel and Hays Travel.
They accuse Abta of undertaking “a flawed process” when it consulted members on their attitude to package travel reform when the EC began its review.
Previously Abta chief executive Mark Tanzer had described ATA’s claims as “scaremongering” and “alarmist”.
On Friday the association issued a statement saying it had urged the EC to “let agents be agents”, arguing that “members who currently sell holidays as agents should be able to continue doing so”.
Abta insisted: “The position we’ve developed on the Package Travel Directive represents the views put to us by Abta members – agents and operators – following a consultation.”
However, it has said it has no problem with members lobbying Brussels on their own behalf.
Tanzer said: “We will continue to press the case for reform while ensuring the reforms avoid unnecessary red tape and that agents retain the ability to trade as agents.
“The issue of consumer protection is quite distinct from that of organisers’ business models, and that distinction must not be lost in the package travel review.”
The EC is expected to publish proposals for extending the directive next spring.
ATA argues Abta has “no legitimate basis to lobby on behalf of travel agents” following a previous consultation it claims saw less than 1% of the Abta agent membership give their views. It accuses Abta of “misleading” agents who it says will be “sleepwalking into oblivion”.
The new association wants the EC to adopt the Flight-Plus model for consumer protection launched this year in the UK.
ATA calls this “protection beyond packages” and is demanding a ballot on the issue.