Action to protect holidaymakers’ rights urged

A campaign has been launched to combat the “parlous” state of consumer protection for holidaymakers.

Consumer group HolidayTravelWatch wants to highlight the dangers and is urging the Government to take action to protect holidaymaker’s rights.

It is also calling on people to sign a petition calling for an urgent review of the “parlous state of affairs”.

The body fears a de-regulation of the package holiday industry following the Civil Aviation Authority’s failure to overhaul and extend the ATOL system following a successful legal challenge by ABTA last year.

HolidayTravelWatch believes a strengthening of the package travel regulations introduced in 1992 is required to incorporate traditional packages and trips made up of individual components through methods such as online dynamic packaging.

At the very least HolidayTravelWatch wants a consumer logo system to be introduced making it clear to holidaymakers if they are buying an unprotected holiday element.

The organisation claims that holidaymakers finding themselves in dispute are discovering that tour operators are “passing the buck” to their suppliers, but those suppliers are referring matters back to the operators.

Some holidaymakers cannot get a response to complaints, others are faced with dealing with companies that either have no contact phone number or a poor customer service department, according to HolidayTravelWatch.

Meanwhile, larger operators are making it clear that they intent to adjust their operations to ensure they are competing on a level playing field. The cost to the consumer is an unregulated and unprotected holiday purchase, it claims.

The organisation’s managing director Frank Brehany said: “If the events of 2006 have taught nothing else, it is this – it would be a gross dereliction of duty to ignore the threats now posed to the many millions of package holiday bought each year by ordinary Britons.

“Imagine if the issues that we are faced with today were fully implemented during the 2006 holiday season, what extra misery would each holidaymaker be faced with in trying to resolve their contractual dispute following poor standards, illness, injury or even death? 

“Government must wake up to its responsibility in this important area, otherwise the travel consumer will be faced with a rampant travel industry, with each company fighting with each other for that precious last penny, to the detriment of the ordinary holidaymaker.

“Allowing market forces to dominate this important issue is not an option; now is the time for action, now is the time for increased protection.”

by Phil Davies