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InteleTravel agents warned over use of ATOL logo
InteleTravel says it has dealt with an ‘isolated’ issue after one of its agents wrongly used an ATOL logo on their personal trading website.
In a message to InteleTravel agents, seen by TravelMole, UK director Trisha Handley-Hughes said she had been contacted by ABTA and travel company Explore, about unauthorised use of the operator’s ATOL number on websites.
She warned: "Only ATOL-holders are permitted to use this logo and this action shows that ABTA are checking our agents social media and website marketing."
Ben Ittensohn, Head of Global Sales at Explore, which is a trading partner of InteleTravel, said: "We became aware of one agent doing so and have asked Inteletravel to investigate and have it removed immediately."
InteleTravel does not currently have an ATOL licence, but recently said it is close to getting one. The company became a member of ABTA in February 2019.
Recently, InteleTravel said its membership ‘boomed’ during lockdown.
InteleTravel told TravelMole: "This isolated error by one agent has been addressed and our relationship with Explore remains unaffected.
"We continue to deliver an excellent training and educational programme to all agents."
An ABTA spokesperson said: "By the time we were made aware, the agent had already apologised and taken the logo down."
The Civil Aviation Authority, which runs the ATOL scheme, did not respond to TravelMole’s request for a comment.
By Lisa James, Deputy Editor, UK
Lisa
Lisa joined Travel Weekly nearly 25 years ago as technology reporter and then sailed around the world for a couple of years as cruise correspondent, before becoming deputy editor. Now freelance, Lisa writes for various print and web publications, edits Corporate Traveller’s client magazine, Gateway, and works on the acclaimed Remembering Wildlife series of photography books, which raise awareness of nature’s most at-risk species and helps to fund their protection.
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