| Journal: TWUK | Section: |
| Title: | Issue Date: 01/05/00 |
| Author: | Page Number: 13 |
| Copyright: Other |
olumn§st
GUEST
If the travel industry is to protect its reputation, it needs to introduce a kitemark for Web sites. Those that fail to deliver threaten to damage the industry as much as the flawed brochures of yesteryear
HOWARD FROST
ABTA’s revised code of conduct regulating travel Web sites falls short of the mark (Travel Weekly April 17).The travel industry needs to introduce a kitemark for Internet sites if it is to protect its reputation and to help secure its integrity.
After all, travel Web sites that fail to deliver threaten to damage the industry as much as the flawed brochures of yesteryear.
Sites claiming to be bookable when they are clearly not pose the biggest threat.
Most sites offering bookable packages deliver no such thing.
Many reservations systems do not offer real-time connectivity to the Web.
Instead so-called bookable sites decide how to fulfil a reservation after they receive the customer’s booking.
Often this means sending numerous e-mails and faxes to third parties to secure a deal.
With research showing that on-line travel bookings rocketed 146% last year – representing about 16.6m travellers – there is a great danger that many Internet sites simply will not be able to cope with large increases in volumes, which could have dire consequences for customers.
If this happens, then genuine on-line providers such as Virgin Holidays, Globespan, Superbreaks and Airtours’ direct selling arm Direct Holidays – some of the operators using Anite’s fully interactive Web-booking system – will be tarnished as well.
So what should be done? First we need a new industry-wide regulatory body that will concern itself exclusively with new media.
Second, the organisation needs to introduce an industry kitemark that would only be awarded to the sites conforming to a rigid set of criteria – not least that ‘bookable’ actually means what it says.
Sites failing to conform would have the kitemark removed.
I believe a new brand of quality is the only way to prevent future chaos.
After all, we cannot stop the growing tide of travel available over the Internet.
The time for action is now.
The industry cannot afford to wait until newspapers and TV shows are filled with customers’ tales of Web disasters – remember the media and public outcry over bogus brochure content? Industry leaders need to rise to the challenge and address this crucial issue today.
For all our sakes, I hope it is only a question of time before a suitable body is created to stamp out this problem, and I urge people who feel the same way to contact me and air their views.
“Industry leaders need to rise to the challenge and address this crucial issue today”