ABTA fights back after Worldchoice Plus agents leave

ABTA claims it offers more than just financial protection as The Travel Network Group takes its 25 managed services shops out of the association.

The Travel Network Group is moving its Worldchoice Plus agents out of ABTA and into the Travel Trust Association to get 100% financial protection.

But ABTA claims the agents have a lot more to lose.

ABTA chairman John McEwan said: "Those managed services members will lose access to all the expertise ABTA provides to its members and all the lobbying it does on their behalf.

"They won’t have the inside track, they won’t be able to attend regional meetings, they won’t have the networking opportunities we offer, they will lose the ABTA badge and if they are trading on the high street they won’t be able to say they are members of ABTA.

"In my opinion, it’s not going to help those agents who won’t be able to say they are ABTA members."

Gary Lewis, group managing director of The Travel Network Group, said: "Members have been individually consulted and are supportive of this initiative as it offers clarity to consumers and an opportunity to differentiate themselves in their local marketplace.

"Worldchoice agents have been requesting a non-ABTA model since the merger with TTA, and we have created this scheme in response to their feedback."

The agents will remain part of Worldchoice and operate using the TTA’s trust account.

They will also be able to apply for an ATOL under the TTA franchise scheme with the CAA or use the options provided to members under the group’s own ATOL.

Worldchoice Plus was introduced in 2008 to provide a managed services solution for those in travel wanting to focus on sales and requiring back office support. The same year TTA and Worldchoice merged.

In 2011 TTA Worldchoice rebranded as The Travel Network Group.

Advantage Travel Centres leisure director Julia Lo-Bue Said said she couldn’t see why The Travel Network Group had decided its Worldchoice Plus members should no longer benefit from ABTA membership.

"At Advantage, our managed services members get the benefit of financial protection while also working under the umbrella of full ABTA membership," she said. "It doesn’t cost our managed services agents anything for ABTA membership and we think it’s a worthwhile benefit."

By Linsey McNeill and Diane Evans