ABTA claims victory in judicial review

Wednesday, 17 Jan, 2006 0

A judge has quashed efforts by the Civil Aviation Authority to require agents to obtain ATOLs to sell dynamically packaged or tailor-made holidays.

The move follows an application by ABTA to the High Court for a judicial review of CAA guidance notes on consumer protection for selling air-based packages.

ABTA was concerned the cost to agent members of additional bonding could have cost more than £16.5 million, representing as many as 3.5 million trips.

Mr Justice Goldring ordered that the guidance notes be quashed and no longer applicable.

The judge said: “It is not in the public interest for travel agents effectively to be pressurised into obtaining ATOLs if the law manifestly does not require them to.”

ABTA chief executive Mark Tanzer said: “This is very good news for our travel agent members. We now have a clear interpretation of the law and agents can continue their business providing tailor-made arrangements as they always have done, without the added burden of further cost and regulation.”

The CAA advice concerned dynamically packaged or tailor-made holidays sold by travel agents and if correct would have meant agents having had to obtain an ATOL. This would have cost implications to businesses and would also mean that agents would be liable if any part of that holiday went wrong, ABTA said.

Report by Phil Davies

Phil Davies

Since 1932, P&O Cruises has offered Aussies and Kiwis the opportunity to take to the seas and have the holiday...

In 2024, The Red Sea will be ready to welcome 300,000 guests in line with the completion of 16 hotels...

SAINT LUCIA IS NO ORDINARY ISLAND Equal parts beauty and mystique, Saint Lucia captivates anyone who sets foot on her...

Destination British Columbia (Destination BC) is a Provincially funded, industry-led Crown corporation that supports a strong and competitive future for BC’s...

Our leadership is bold. Our agility thrives on open innovation and we embrace the new, whether it’s diversity, trends, challenges....

Travel specialists founded the company in 1999 as AC Tours. Since then we have grown and expanded to incorporate four...

Travel Outlook, the premier hotel call center™ Travel Outlook is an innovative, custom off-site central reservations office (CRO) service that...

Hilton is a leading global hospitality company with a portfolio of 22 world-class brands comprising nearly 7,300 properties and more than 1.1 million rooms, in...

Intrepid Travel is a world leader in sustainable experience-rich travel that has been taking travellers to discover the world’s most amazing places...

Global Hotel Alliance brings together a unique collection of independent hospitality brands for GHA DISCOVERY, a multi-brand loyalty programme. GHA...

From the beginning, ATI’s philosophy has been “innovation, not duplication.“ Developing specialized technology solutions to connect over 30,000 accommodation, attracti...

Located in the Mediterranean and connecting Asia and European continents that are separated by the famous Bosphorus, Türkiye is a...

City Cruises is a leading operator of sightseeing, dining and charter services operating in London, York and Poole. We offer...

Family-owned Olympic Holidays has been arranging holidays to Greece, the Greek islands and Cyprus for more than half century. The company is unrivalled...

With long periods of Thailand’s History, according to evidences and studies, Sukhothai was the first kingdom of Thailand. At that time, an early Thai...

The Oregon Tourism Commission, dba Travel Oregon, works to enhance visitors’ experiences by providing information, resources and trip planning tools...