Abta has rebuffed a call to ballot members on reform of Europe’s package travel rules.
The new Association of Travel Agents challenged Abta to hold a ballot on Monday. It accused Abta of “misleading” agents and pursuing a position “not compatible with their increasingly common [dynamic packaging] business model”.
Abta chairman John McEwan rejected that. He said: “I don’t think any purpose would be served by a ballot. Until we see the proposals, it would be speculative.”
The Association of Travel Agents is alarmed at the prospect the EC will extend the Package Travel Directive to Flight-Plus sales. Its challenge to Abta was issued in the names of Travel Republic, On The Beach, Low Cost Holidays, On Holiday Group, Alpha Rooms, The Travel Network Group, Barrhead Travel and Hays Travel.
However, McEwan said: “We don’t know the proposals. We don’t know the questions to ask until we see the proposals. It would be premature.
“Abta does not want agency status changed. When we see the proposals we’ll enter into a full consultation with members, hold roadshows and consult Abta’s policy advisory group. We’ll have time to go back to Brussels, and if it requires an adjustment of our position then that is what we’ll do.”
The Association of Travel Agents described Abta’s last consultation on package travel reform in 2009 as “flawed”. But McEwan said: “A majority were in favour of consumer protection in 2009, but not at the expense of agency status.”
Last week, Abta issued its own statement demanding the EC “let agents be agents”. Chief executive Mark Tanzer said: “Abta is taking members’ views to the highest levels in Brussels.”
The EC is expected to publish proposals for extending the directive next spring.