ABTA News Page 17
ABTA sees strong early holiday bookings for 2014
ABTA – The Travel Association reveals that ABTA Members are reporting strong early bookings for summer 2014 with some companies reporting sales up more than 10% year on year. Following weeks of bad weather, with the UK battered by a series of storms, latest reports indicate that British holidaymakers are very much looking forward to the summer.
ABTA publishes 2014 Travel Trends Report
ABTA – The Travel Association, today released its Travel Trends Report 2014, developed in association with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The report predicts cautious optimism in the holiday market for the year ahead with consumers continuing to holiday and planning to spend more than they did in 2013.
Martin Randall joins the ABTA Board
ABTA, the Travel Association, announces today that Martin Randall, Chief Executive of Martin Randall Travel, has been appointed to the ABTA Board. Randall will represent principal Members with a turnover of less than £50 million.
ABTA alert: Travellers to Egypt
Due to the continued political unrest in Egypt the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has recommended against all but essential travel to the country, except for the Red Sea Resorts.
Two million head overseas for the great school summer getaway
ABTA – The Travel Association estimates that two million British holidaymakers are set to head overseas this weekend for the first weekend of the summer holidays for the majority of schools in England (26-29 July). Spain remains the number one destination for British holidaymakers with the Balearic and Canary Islands selling especially well, other Mediterranean destinations especially Greece, Turkey and Tunisia are also high on the list.
ABTA gives its top ten tips for summer holidaymakers
ABTA – The Travel Association is giving its top ten essential travel tips to help Brits enjoy a hassle free holiday as the great summer exodus gets into full swing. ABTA expects 14 million Brits to holiday overseas between July and September. For those who haven’t already booked, it’s not too late, with availability in Mallorca, Turkey and the Canary Islands. As always if you’ve left it late the more flexible you can be, the better your chances of securing a good deal.
ABTA reveals the substantial economic value of leisure aviation
ABTA has today published a specially commissioned report into the economic value of leisure aviation. The study, carried out by the Centre for Economics Business Research (Cebr), was commissioned by ABTA to understand fully the importance of leisure aviation to the UK economy. The report found that it contributed a significant £14.1 billion of a Gross Value Added in 2010, equivalent to 1.1% of GDP, greater than the contribution of the utilities, accountancy or advertising industries.
ABTA: Holiday Brits risking their lives on balconies
One British national has died and three more have been injured this month alone after falling from balconies while on holiday. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and ABTA – The Travel Association, have renewed calls to young Brits heading off on holiday this summer to take extra care on balconies.
School trips rescued following collapse of ABTA Tour Operator
Four schools had their trips dramatically rescued following the failure of ABTA tour operator TJM travel on 23 May 2013. ABTA tour operator Voyager School Travel stepped in to offer the schools the same trips to Tossa de Mar in northern Spain departing only 24 hours after TJM went out of business. Voyager School Travel provided the trips safe in the knowledge that the payments made by parents to TJM travel for their children’s holidays were fully protected by ABTA.
ABTA launches global welfare guidance for animals in tourism
ABTA today launches the industry’s first ever Global Welfare Guidance for Animals in Tourism. The guidelines have been produced by ABTA working in partnership with the Born Free Foundation and have been further developed through a consultation process with industry experts, ABTA Members, scientists, zoologist organisations, associations and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) from around the world.
Spain questioned over EHIC
ABTA has appeared in a number of interviews this week concerning the EHIC, including BBC Breakfast, BBC Radio 5 live, ITV News and Watchdog. The European Commission has today requested information from Spain relating to their compliance with EU law concerning the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). A request for information is the first step in the Commission’s official infringement procedure.
ABTA welcomes 22 new members from January to May 2013
ABTA welcomed the following 22 new Members into the Association from January to May 2013, 2 trading as a retailer, 20 as principals and 3 in both classes of membership. Over this period existing ABTA Members also registered a further 70 new branch offices with the Association.