The aviation regulator has been encouraged by Trailfinders to run a “concerted campaign” to highlight Atol protection.
The travel group’s chief executive Toby Kelly has written to the Civil Aviation Authority calling for it to promote the cover offered by Atol.
His letter to head of Atol Andy Cohen was triggered by the CAA urging consumers to check that their holidays are financially protected ahead of the summer peak.
Kelly said: “As you know the average person has no idea what protection Atol provides, beyond it offering some protection.
“Most think it covers all flight-only bookings. Few understand the protection they forgo when they undertake a DIY booking. Then, of course, there is linked travel.
“Even journalists, who ought to know better, inadvertently encourage direct bookings devoid of protection.
“A concerted campaign to educate consumers and to market Atol protection is very long overdue and extremely positive news.”
Cohen replied to say: “We will be doing an increasing amount of promotional work as the travel industry steadily reopens more widely, including through our current blog series which we launched last week as part of our ongoing educational awareness.”
He added: “In recent years, with a modest budget we have focussed mostly on digital marketing as we can target consumers more accurately based on their online activity, such as those who have potentially been looking to book DIY holidays.
“While digital marketing is a strong tool, the team do still use traditional media as well, such as the press release you have referred to, as and when we have announcements or there is a particular angle that the media may be interested in.
“We will always work to promote the benefits of booking Atol protected package holidays across both digital and traditional media.
“We would very much like you and colleagues within the industry to help play their part by liking and sharing our content on social channels such as Facebook and LinkedIn etc. This will help to amplify the message to a wider audience, further increasing understanding and awareness of the important benefits of the Atol scheme.”
Webcast: Atol Reform consultation