ABTA’s Lisa Kingman, Head of Financial Protection, Paula Macfarlane, Senior Solicitor and Angie Hills, Head of Destinations, have been included in the 2025 Women in Trade Associations Powerlist, which celebrates inspirational women in trade associations.   Launched on Friday 7 March, ahead of International Women’s Day (8 March), the Powerlist recognises those in trade associations who champion their sectors, support colleagues and deliver for their members.   As Head of Financial Protection, Lisa Kingman plays a pivotal role in ensuring ABTA members meet financial protection requirements. By expanding the options available, she has helped members find cost-effective solutions that best suit their businesses. She has also led initiatives to simplify and enhance financial protection processes, making them more flexible and efficient for members.   Lisa commented: “Being included in this Powerlist is a real honour. Financial protection is a fundamental part of ensuring trust in the travel industry and I’m proud to work alongside a dedicated team at ABTA to support our members to get the right arrangements that suit their businesses.”   Paula Macfarlane, Senior Solicitor at ABTA, has provided expert legal guidance to ABTA members for over 24 years. Paula supports ABTA members, translating complex legal issues into practical guidance that helps members run their businesses. She manages the ABTA Code of Conduct, a core part of ABTA’s badge of trust, ensuring high industry standards. Paula has played a key role advocating for members in policy and regulatory development, including the Package Travel Regulations review and the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act.   Paula said: “It’s a privilege to be included in this year’s Powerlist. My role at ABTA allows me to work on some of the most important regulatory and legal matters facing the travel industry, helping members understand what they mean for them and their customers.”   Angie Hills, ABTA Head of Destinations, has been included in the Powerlist this year, further recognition following her recent MBE award in the King’s New Year honours list for services to the travel industry. Angie’s leadership in supporting ABTA members during operational matters and international crises has been invaluable, as has her knowledge, expertise and leadership for over two decades in destination health, safety and security. Read more about her contributions and her MBE.   Angie commented: “At ABTA, we work hard to support our members through the ever-changing landscape of travel, and being named on the Powerlist is a wonderful endorsement of our work to support our members not just during a crisis, but with other important aspects of their business including health, safety and security to support British travellers.”

ABTA is supporting members during the peak booking period through a multi-channel marketing campaign and PR drive. The activities include the launch of ABTA’s Destinations to Watch 2025 report. The report finds 68% of people intend to take a holiday abroad this year and 53% are seeking a break in the UK. People are also looking to explore somewhere new, with 48% wishing to head to a city or resort they’ve not been to before Nearly half (45%) are looking to explore a different country entirely. The purpose of Destinations to Watch is to offer ideas and inspiration to explore lesser-known places or get a new take on a familiar place, ABTA says. The destinations are selected by ABTA experts, reflecting customers’ sentiment and trends. The 10 destinations to watch are: Belize Denmark Hokkaido, Japan Hungary The Islands of the Cote d’Azur, France Le Marche, Italy Malawi Oviedo and more, Spain Quebec, Canada Tasmania, Australia The report can be found at www.abta.com/DestinationsToWatch2025 ABTA’s Travel with Confidence campaign is also in full swing this month, following the initial drive in November. It is encouraging people to book their holidays with an ABTA member now. Social media advertising on Facebook and Instagram has been running since Boxing Day and will continue until the end of February. TikTok advertising will launch in the first week of January. In mid-January, a second set of radio ads will air across Heart Digital Radio, encouraging people to book with an ABTA member. Graeme Buck, ABTA’s Director of Communications said: “We know how important the peak booking period is for our members.” “The Travel with Confidence campaign is designed with that all important peace of mind when travelling. Last year’s campaign reached a wider audience than ever, and we hope to build on that even more.” “We’re pleased to once again launch our Destinations to Watch report, as a way to get people thinking and talking about the trips they may want to take this year.”

Adido, a specialist digital marketing agency has become an ABTA Partner+. ABTA Partner+ status id for companies that have demonstrated a history of engagement with the trade association. They are companies that have created positive connections with ABTA members and can contribute thought-leadership content. Bournemouth based Adido has a team of 20 and specialises in the travel industry, offering services including web design and app development. Their client list includes Simpson Travel, Cosmos, Canadian Affair, Latin Routes, Gap360, Pelorus and Meon Valley Travel. Andy Headington, CEO at Adido, said: "We are delighted to become an ABTA Partner+. It's testament to our hard work and dedication to the industry over the last decade.” Adido's expertise in travel marketing strategy and digital solutions makes it a valuable partner for ABTA members." Claire Biddle, commercial director at ABTA, added: "We are thrilled to recognise Adido with Partner+ status. As a business they have supported members over a number of years, training on different aspects of digital marketing at ABTA's events." With ABTA Partner+ status, Adido will continue to provide its specialist services to the travel industry while participating more actively in ABTA's events. 

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Trade partners will gather in Costa Navarino in Greece for this year’s ABTA Travel Convention. The resort town in the southwest Peloponnese will host the event from 7- 9 October 2024. Navarino Dunes has two five-star hotels, state-of-the-art conference facilities, plus over 20 restaurants and bars. It is also home to a signature golf course, a spa and thalassotherapy centre as well as a variety of sports, outdoor and cultural activities. Details of how to register, along with accommodation and flight options, will be announced soon. “This emerging area of Greece is a brilliant addition to the country’s tourism offering. I know our delegates will thoroughly enjoy experiencing everything the area has to offer,” said ABTA CEO, Mark Tanzer. It has been hailed by Eleni Skarveli, Director, GNTO UK and Ireland Office. "We are absolutely delighted to be the host, deepening our exceptional partnership across all levels,” she said. 

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ABTA LifeLine is inviting the travel industry to join its first ‘Fun Golf Day’ in order to raise funds for travel people in need. All are invited whether a scratch golfer or Sunday hacker. All golfing levels will be catered to on the ‘Texas Scramble’ format, allowing everyone a chance to win on a championship course. The Fun Golf Day takes place at Crondon Park Golf Club on June 18. It begins with breakfast on arrival at 1100 followed by the tee=off at 1330. The day will end with awards, a BBQ and charity auction. The entry contribution to Lifeline for a team of 4 is £595. Non players are £50 to include breakfast and BBQ. To enter a team or for sponsorship opportunities contact: cnorth@abtalifeline.org.uk or tclements@abta.co.uk Under Texas Scramble rules, all team members hit every shot. After teeing off, the team decides which drive is the best. From there, all members of the team place their golf balls where the chosen drive ended up, with all members playing a second shot from this spot and so on. Each team returns one score for each hole and the team with the lowest score for the round wins. 

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  Chris North reveals his latest venture, the Big Golf Company, a luxury golf tour operator under the umbrella of the esteemed Big Journey Company. With a focus on combining golf with unique travel experiences, the company offers three distinct tour options catering to both golf enthusiasts and non-golfers alike. North emphasizes the personalized touch with tour directors accompanying each trip, ensuring an unforgettable journey. Additionally, North discusses his involvement in organizing the ABTA Lifeline Golf Day, a charitable event aimed at supporting mental health initiatives within the travel industry. Scheduled for June 18th at Crondon Park Golf Club, Stock, Essex. The event promises a day of camaraderie and fundraising efforts.  

ABTA unveiled its full events programme for 2023/24, which includes four new one-day travel conferences. These are in addition to the flagship conferences, plus a suite of core training events. The programme is designed to equip attendees with the skills and tools needed to boost business. The new travel conference series are as follows: Tomorrow’s Talent in Travel conference on 6 February will cover the latest changes in travel education, address skills gaps, future travel roles and how to approach recruitment and training. Mergers & Acquisition conference on 30 November will guide attendees through the various different stages of mergers and acquisitions. Financial Protection and Risk Management conference on 24 January will help delegates to get to grips with the ever-changing regulations and financial protection solutions. Adventure Travel conference on 17 April explores the trends and challenges associated with one of the fastest expanding tourism sectors. As well as the new conferences, ABTA will also hold flagship events including Travel Trends, Travel Finance, the Travel Law Seminar and Travel Matters. The 2023/24 programme also includes in-depth training events.. These cover sustainability, complaints handling, health and safety, social media and marketing,. ABTA is offering a 10% discount on all event bookings made before 31 August using the code ABTASUMMER23. The events are open to the whole travel industry with reduced rates available for ABTA members and partners.

ABTA is offering members and partners a new training course on carbon literacy for travel and tourism. The course is accredited by the Carbon Literacy Project. Carbon Literacy is an awareness of climate change, and everyday climate impacts. After completing training, delegates can take a short assessment to achieve certification as carbon literate. ABTA believes this is the only accredited training on carbon literacy in travel and tourism. The course was developed in response to feedback from members. The course ran for the first-time in November and all delegates who went on to take the assessment passed. ABTA has scheduled two for the first half of this year, with the next one on 26 April and another for June. Discounts are available for ABTA members and partners. A full list of ABTA’s sustainability resources is in the MemberZone. ABTA is also holding its Delivering Sustainable Travel Conference on 24 May 2023.

Disabled-friendly travel specialist Limitless Travel, has joined ABTA. Limitless Travel’s CEO Angus Drummond said: “We’re delighted to now be members of ABTA. “We feel that ABTA’s purpose for helping its members grow their business really strikes a chord with our mission.” Danny Waine, Head of Membership at ABTA added: “People have confidence and strong trust in the ABTA brand, which is one of the huge benefits travel businesses get when joining.”

About five million travellers are taking Christmas holidays overseas, trade body ABTA said. It expects Friday 23 December will be the busiest day with Christmas Day the quietest. Around three million will pass through Heathrow on their Christmas holidays in the coming days. Another million are set to leave from Stansted and London Luton, according to ABTA data. The Canary Islands, Spain and Turkey are some of the most popular festive sunshine destinations.

ABTA has launched its own foreign exchange service. The new Forex service is called ABTA Travel Money. It will offer customers over 60 currencies commission free. Customers have a choice of two delivery options: Click and Collect or home delivery. Delivery is free on orders over £500. ABTA Commercial Director Claire Biddle said: “Customers are increasingly looking for and need reliable, trustworthy services.” “By offering both foreign exchange and travel insurance, we are also broadening our income base.” ABTA selected Forex provider eurochange to offer the travel money service on its behalf. For a small fee ABTA Travel Money also offers a refund guarantee.

As Rishi Sunak takes up the job as the UK's third Prime Minister this year,, ABTA urged the Government to focus now on stability and providing more cost of living support.   Mark Tanzer, Chief Executive of ABTA – The Travel Association said:” What businesses and consumers now need is stability, clarity, and confidence that we are set on a path to economic recovery. We also need the Government to understand the delicate position the travel industry is in and the support needed.” “We've had a decent summer of trading, but that is on the back of two years of no travel during the pandemic, and consumer budgets are now feeling the squeeze.” "We have been making Mr Sunak aware of the challenges faced by our industry. We've also stressed the opportunity a thriving outbound travel sector offers the UK in terms of economic growth.” ABTA’s latest forecasts show that the UK outbound travel industry could grow 15% by 2027, given the right conditions. ABTA called on the Chancellor to put in place a series of measures to support the sector. It wants existing retail-based business rates support beyond the end of the financial year April 2023. It should provide business support to travel businesses that are not based in retail premises, such as tour operators, who have been unable to benefit from existing support. ABTA also called for a freeze of Air Passenger Duty for the remainder of the current Parliamentary term. Additionally, travel should be recognised as one of the industry sectors deemed vulnerable when short term fuel support measures expire, ABTA said.