ARTAC Worldchoice has agreed to work with the Truly Independent Professional Travel Organisation – but with conditions attached.
The consortium said only those operators in the scheme which it has preferred deals with will be permitted access to its members.
Those blacklisted by ARTAC will be barred from being represented during agent presentations and roadshows.
“It is a key condition that TIPTO operators have no communication with our members if they do not currently have a deal with us,” said ARTAC chairman Colin Heal. Heal added that it could not stop an individual member dealing with a blacklisted company.
“If members wish to deal with an operator they are free to do so provided they rack and genuinely try to sell the preferred suppliers,” said Heal.
ARTAC has also demanded assurances that TIPTO will not attempt to negotiate commercial terms, meet agents on an appointment-only basis or offer incentives for agents to attend TIPTO events.
TIPTO founder Gary David said he had accepted all the conditions imposed by ARTAC and added he welcomed the consortium’s involvement.
Meanwhile, David is due to hold talks with Advantage Travel Centres and Midconsort later this week.