Abta marks 75 years of supporting holidaymakers

Abta today (Friday) marks 75 years since being formed as a “constant companion” to UK travellers.

Established in the summer of 1950 with 97 members, the travel association now represents around 4,300 travel brands.

Abta was created to agree a set of standards for the businesses involved in the emerging post-war era of international travel.

Holidays have significantly changed since Abta’s inception, with most people taking domestic breaks, often at a seaside resort, in the 1950s.

While UK residents took just 3.3 million trips in 1961, this rose to 86.2 million in 2023 according to the latest data from the Office for National Statistics’ international passenger survey.

The growth in package holiday options, the introduction of low-cost carriers and the birth of the internet are among the reasons. 

When package holidays first became popular, the Balearics, Italian Riviera, Belgium, Austria, Switzerland and Germany were the most-booked destinations.

Europe remains the top choice for overseas trips, visited by 83% of UK travellers according to Abta’s latest Holiday Habits report, but the top 15 most-visited destinations also included the US (4th), Mexico (11th) and Australia (13th).

The association helped with the industry’s first significant failure in July 1964 when the collapse of non-member Fiesta Tours left around 2,000 holidaymakers stranded. 

In response, Abta set up the first fund to repatriate customers in the event of a failure, and underlined the importance to customers of their holiday bookings being financially protected.

More recently, the association handled more than 1,400 customer claims following the failure of the original Thomas Cook in 2019. These started to be paid within the first seven days of the group’s collapse.

Now, 88% of people say that they would rather book a holiday with a company in Abta membership’s than one which is not.

 

Abta also stepped up its advice for holidaymakers during the pandemic by developing an online hub of information to set out what consumers needed to know about refunds, the latest travel requirements and future bookings. This was viewed more than 1.3 million times in 2020 alone.

Abta chief executive Mark Tanzer said: “Abta was born out of a desire to make travel better; to give people confidence that when they book a holiday with an Abta member, they know that company is committed to delivering high standards and an exceptional service.

“The holidays our members have booked for their customers have changed hugely since our early years, when the choice of destination and style of trip were more limited. Now, people can book a holiday in practically any location, personalise almost every element of their trip and seek out whatever experience they have in mind.

“What hasn’t changed, however, is Abta’s role as a constant companion for the travelling public, offering vital peace of mind and much-needed support. We, and our members, are ideally placed to carry on giving people confidence to travel over the next 75 years.”

Sandra McAllister, managing director of Althams Travel, one of Abta’s founding members, said: “Althams first stepped into the world of travel with day trips to the seaside, followed by rail and coach holidays both in the UK and abroad, and then air travel. 

“The industry has grown hugely during this time, as the sanctity of the ‘family holiday’ has become increasingly woven into the fabric of everyday life.

“The use of the Abta logo is essential to us as it instantly signifies ‘trust’ to our customers. Abta is recognised as the ultimate association offering security, protection and a vital safety net, which is priceless.”