The Advantage Travel Partnership and Aito, The Specialist Travel Association, have said they welcome the government’s Package Travel Regulations (PTRs) review and will consult members on the matter.
A 12-week ‘call for evidence’ on the PTRs by the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) will form part of the government’s ‘Smarter Regulation to Grow the Economy’ programme launched in May.
Proposals include the removal of UK domestic package holidays from the regulations; removal of arrangements which do not include travel, such as a hotel stay with an activity; and removal of packages below a certain price threshold.
A joint statement from the two trade bodies welcomed the announcement, adding: “[We] are pleased to see that the views we consistently express on the complexities of the current parallel regulatory regimes are being taken into account.
More: Trading Standards calls for new powers to enforce the PTRs [June 23]
UK accused of ‘tinkering’ with Package Travel Regulations [May 23]
“We have been actively engaging with policymakers for some time on these issues, and encouraging government to take advantage of the opportunities presented by Brexit to look at what is currently a complex and fragmented regulatory framework, and to create one that is new and joined-up for all businesses operating in the sector, along with, importantly, consumers.
“We are therefore pleased to see the government’s acknowledgement of the need for regulatory change.
“Despite the challenges we have faced, the UK outbound travel sector remains a key contributor to the national economy and we look forward to working with government on both domestic and international travel regulations.
“We will be consulting our members over the following weeks to consolidate our response and to ensure that our asks adequately reflect their views.
“We look forward to sharing both the Advantage and Aito responses to the consultation at a later date.”