United Kingdom
United States
Asia Pacific
ABTA to launch health and safety audit tool
ABTA is to launch an initiative in early 2007 giving members the chance to access a health and safety database of properties worldwide.
Unveiling the scheme at the association’s convention in Marbella, chief executive Mark Tanzer said the move was in response to the changing face of the industry.
He said: “The traditional distinction between operator and agent is becoming more blurred with more companies offering flexible packaging. They risk taking on the role of principal and therefore having legal liability if things go wrong, but they don’t have the scale to warrant having their own auditing scheme. By pooling the resources our members can book hotels with confidence.”
Tanzer said ABTA was currently in negotiations with a handful of companies who supply health and safety auditing, ready for a launch in the first quarter.
The pricing policy has not yet been finalised but the more properties an agent enquires about, the cheaper it would become.
“I see real benefits in terms of quality, standards, reputation and consumer confidence – all the things that ABTA traditionally stands for,” he added.
ABTA said the scheme was in the pipeline prior to the deaths of two children in a Corfu hotel apartment.
By Bev Fearis
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
Kittipong Prapattong’s Plan for Thailand’s Tourism Growth: Taxes, Visas, and Campaigns
James Jin: Didatravel’s Journey from China to Global Reach and the Impact of AI on Travel
Darien Schaefer on Pensacola’s Evolution: From Small Town to Global Destination
Florida Tourism’s Next Frontier: Dana Young on Expanding Beyond the Classics
Patrick Harrison on Tampa Bay Tourism’s Resilience and Marketing Strategy
Bubba O’Keefe on Clarksdale’s Vibrant Music Scene
Commemorating Elvis and Embracing Tupelo’s Culture with Jennie Bradford Curlee
Craig Ray and the Expansion of the Blues Trail
Presenting Mississippi’s Cultural Trails with Katie Coats
Robert Terrell: A Journey Through BB King’s Influence
Rochelle Hicks: Celebrating Mississippi’s Musical Legacy
Exploring Jacksonville with Katie Mitura: The Flip Side of Florida
Dozens fall ill in P&O Cruises ship outbreak
Boy falls to death on cruise ship
Turkish Airlines flight in emergency landing after pilot dies
Unexpected wave rocks cruise ship
Woman dies after going overboard in English Channel