The Civil Aviation Authority reports an increasing number of holidaymakers know of the Atol scheme and are keen to ensure their holidays are financially protected following its ‘Pack peace of mind’ consumer campaign.
The CAA ran a third annual ‘pack peace of mind’ campaign from the turn of the year on TV and radio, in newspapers and magazines and through social media.
It subsequently commissioned research among 1,500 consumers to assess the impact. This found:
A rise from 64% to 71% year on year in the proportion who protected their last holiday.
Four out five respondents (83%) planned to financially protect their next holiday abroad, up from 75% in 2014.
And there was a 9% increase to 48% in the proportion who feel “fairly” or “very well informed” about the benefits of booking an Atol-protected holiday.
The research also suggested the Atol certificate was becoming more familiar to people, with 55% aware they should receive a certificate once they had booked a protected holiday and more than half (54%) saying they actively checked for protection before booking.
The CAA said its campaign reached a potential UK TV audience of 23 million, its Facebook adverts and promoted posts were displayed to more than 19 million users, and its newspaper and magazine adverts reached a combined potential audience of 16 million, with radio and TV interviews on top.
CAA deputy director of consumer protection David Moesli said: “The number of Atol-protected bookings has increased year-on-year over the last three years.
“Our research shows more people feel better informed about what Atol provides and the Atol certificate is now more recognised. We believe the campaign has played an important role in this.”
He added: “We have been really pleased with how the industry got behind the campaign.”
Moesli said: “With more holidaymakers solely researching and booking online and some overseas travel companies selling into the UK, it is vital consumers know what to look for when booking holidays.
“Our research shows people are actively checking for protection before they book and we want to build on this in partnership with the industry so we can ensure consumers know the facts and can book with peace of mind.”