Latest News Stories

The FTO is regularly asked to provide press statements in regard to headlines affecting our industry, members and their customers

Our Latest News Stories page is updated as soon as we have information to update our Members with. For historical news items go to our News Archive page.

• 26th Jul 2010ABTA reveals Summer Holiday Plans of MPs and PeersABTA revealed today the summer holiday plans of many MPs and Peers as millions of families head off overseas and to many beautiful areas of the UK as we start the school summer holidays.
• 21st Jul 2010The Great School Summer GetawayAs the majority of English schools break up this Friday, this weekend is one of the major getaway weekends for the year. With the great British weather proving as unpredictable as ever ABTA estimates that 1.9 million of us will be heading overseas this weekend 23-26 July.
• 07th Jul 2010Book for the Travel Convention Now Before Prices Go UpABTA is urging delegates for the Travel Convention to book before 19 July in order to save £60. Prices also go up again on 31 August.
• 07th Jul 2010ABTA Targets MPs with Travel and Tourism MagazineThe thoughts from Transport Minister Theresa Villiers, MP John McDonnell, journalist and former MEP Stanley Johnson, MSP Wendy Alexander and MEP Malcolm Harbour, on why travel matters have been put together in a special House Magazine supplement on travel with opinion pieces from travel professor Harold Goodwin and industry leaders Dermot Blastland and Andy Cooper.
• 05th Jul 2010Young artist from Twickenham school is announced as the National Winner of the ABTA Schools Art Challenge Staff and students at the Newland House School in Twickenham will be painting the town red this week – after scooping four top prizes in the first ever ABTA School’s Art Challenge.
• 30th Jun 2010ABTA Calls for ‘detailed policy discussions to begin’ on replacement options for Air Passenger DutyABTA is calling for the Government to publish its consultation on replacement options for Air Passenger Duty as soon as possible – and before the summer Parliamentary recess.
• 30th Jun 2010ABTA Invites Members’ Input on New CAA Claims ProcedureABTA is writing to its Members’ seeking their views and needs over a root and branch review by the Civil Aviation Authority of the ATOL claims handling procedure.
• 30th Jun 2010HOLIDAYMAKERS URGED TO GO GREENER THIS SUMMERFrom recycling bottles to switching off the lights, record numbers of families are doing their bit to help the environment at home – but new research from ABTA and the Travel Foundation highlights that almost half of Britons admit their green habits are forgotten the minute they arrive on holiday.
• 23rd Jun 2010ABTA Launches Second Edition of Travelife CollectionHolidaymakers wanting to book holidays that work hard to protect the environment and support local communities can now find more properties in the second edition of the Travelife Collection, launched today 23 June 2010.
• 22nd Jun 2010ABTA Welcomes the Chancellor’s Move to Examine and Consult Further on Aviation DutyABTA has welcomed George Osborne’s move to examine aviation taxes more closely, but is disappointed that the November increases in Air Passenger Duty will still go ahead meaning that the revenue will increase from £1.9 bn this year to £3.8 bn in 2015-16.
• 16th Jun 2010ABTA Congratulates Travel Foundation on Winning Major AwardABTA is delighted to add its congratulations to the Travel Foundation who came first in one the most prestigious categories at The Charity Awards 2010, which recognise leading charities operating in the UK.
• 14th Jun 2010ABTA Statement on Government Volcanic Ash Cloud DebateABTA the Travel Association is calling on the Government to include all sections of the travel trade, which incurred costs due to the recent volcanic ash clouds, in any future compensation package.
• 03rd Jun 2010Air Passenger Duty Reform – Gathering International SupportABTA is calling Members, representatives of the travel industry, holidaymakers and business travellers to write to their MPs to express concern that the Government will drastically increase taxes on long haul flights later this year.
• 03rd Jun 201060 Years of ABTAJohn McEwan, Chairman of ABTA will mark 60 years of ABTA at the Travel Matters Conference on 3 June.
• 03rd Jun 2010The ABTA PlanABTA has begun to implement an ambitious new Plan, which outlines ABTA’s and its Members’ role in building a successful and sustainable future for the travel industry.
• 03rd Jun 2010The Travel Convention Malta 18-20 October 2010ABTA's 2010 Travel Convention will take place at the Hilton Malta Conference Centre in St Julian’s on the island of Malta between 18-20 October 2010.
• 02nd Jun 2010Travel Matters – The Travel Industry Briefing at the Heart of WestminsterABTA is hosting Travel Matters, a half day industry briefing for over 150 leading travel industry figures, journalists and key political decision makers on Thursday 3 June in Westminster.
• 25th May 2010ABTA Responds to Northern Ireland’s Tourism StrategyABTA has responded to Northern Ireland’s tourism strategy by complimenting the scope of its strategy.
• 19th May 2010Ex ABTA President Eric Sutherland DiesABTA was deeply saddened to hear of the death this week of Eric Sutherland who was President of the Association from 1983-1986.
• 13th May 2010ABTA launches regional ad campaign in wake of volcano disruptionABTA, the Travel Association, has launched a regional press advertising campaign to encourage consumers to book with its members following the disruption caused by the recent volcanic ash crisis.
• 12th May 2010ABTA Welcomes Move to Per Plane TaxABTA welcomes the news that the new coalition Government has agreed to adopt a per plane tax.
• 30th Apr 2010ABTA – Looking After Customers In Good Times and BadOver the last two weeks ABTA has been providing advice and assistance to thousands of customers whose flights had been cancelled because of the cloud of volcanic ash.
• 23rd Apr 2010ABTA Members Take the StrainABTA Members aim to have repatriated more than 100,000 British passengers by the end of this weekend, ABTA reports.
• 19th Apr 2010ABTA Welcomes Airspace Announcement But Getting Back to Normal Will Take Time.ABTA, The Travel Association, welcomed the announcement of the initial lifting of the current air travel restrictions over UK air space.
• 16th Apr 2010UK airport disruption due to Volcanic AshDue to a volcanic eruption in Iceland, ABTA is urging customers to liaise with their travel provider or airline for the latest information in relation to their travel plans.
• 14th Apr 2010ABTA – Solving Holiday ComplaintsFrom May 1 ABTA is formalising changes to its arbitration scheme which will help customers and ABTA Members resolve their differences without having to pay legal or court costs.
• 07th Apr 2010ABTA Welcomes Government Rethink on Furnished Holiday LetsABTA welcomed the announcement by the government today that it would set aside its repeal of the Furnished Holiday Lettings [FHL] rules until after the election.
• 06th Apr 2010Calling all Candidates – ABTA launches Election Toolkit for MembersWith the general election announced today, ABTA has launched an online Election Toolkit to help Members influence local candidates on key travel industry issues.
• 23rd Nov 2009ABTA BOARD MAKES NEW APPOINTMENTSTwo new appointments are announced today by the ABTA board which will strengthen the representation and public affairs role of the travel association.
• 09th Nov 2009ABTA’s New Destination Strategy and Services Team at WTMABTA’s Destination Strategy and Services team, which has been formed from a key area of work of the Federation of Tour Operators (FTO), will have a high profile at this year’s World Travel Market.
• 09th Nov 2009Air Passenger Duty – Gathering Industry Support at WTMBefore he officially starts his role at ABTA as Head of Public Affairs, Luke Pollard will join ABTA’s Manager,Trade Relations, Susan Parsons and the Destination Strategy and Services team at World Travel Market to talk to destinations about Air Passenger Duty and discuss lobbying strategies for the next 12 months.
• 30th Oct 2009Debra Routledge New Travelife Sales and Marketing ExecutiveDebra Routledge, formerly at the Carbon Neutral Company, Red Letter Days and Inghams has joined ABTA to be the Sales and Marketing Executive for the Travelife Sustainability System and will be part of ABTA’s Destination Strategy and Services Team at World Travel Market.
• 29th Oct 2009Air Passenger Duty – a Tax Rise too FarFrom this Sunday 1 November 2009 Air Passenger Duty rises so that a family of four flying to the USA will pay £180 in tax and £240 from November 2010 when the aviation poll tax is set to rise again.
• 28th Oct 2009ABTA and FTO Host Gas Safety RoundtableABTA and the FTO hosted the first of a series of health and safety roundtables last week in the House of Commons.
• 21st Oct 2009ABTA Statement on Sale of Gatwick AirportABTA broadly welcomed the announcement today that Gatwick Airport is to be sold by its current owners BAA to Global Infrastructure Partners.
• 15th Oct 2009ABTA and the Foreign Office agree to work closer togetherABTA and the FTO met today with Chris Bryant Minister for Consular Affairs to discuss closer co-operation to reduce the number of consular cases caused by irresponsible behaviour. Both parties recognised the good work being done by both to reduce the problem.
• 14th Oct 2009ABTA Says Rise in Flying Tax Will Damage Regional AirportsABTA is calling on the Government to rethink its decision to increase Air Passenger Duty from 1 November as this may lead to many hard pressed airlines reconsidering their routes out of regional airports as well as raising the cost of holidays for families and others on tight budgets.
• 08th Oct 2009Tourism 2023: Towards a Sustainable Travel and Tourism IndustryLeading players in UK tourism pledged today to create a strong and profitable industry for the future, which benefits tourist destinations and protects the environment.
• 06th Oct 2009ABTA TRAVEL BUDDY: HELPING TO KEEP HOLIDAYMAKERS SAFEABTA is launching ABTA Travel Buddy, a new email and mobile SMS text service for Members which will enable them to provide essential holiday information to customers after they book, before they travel and in emergencies while they are away.
• 02nd Oct 2009ABTA Welcomes General Meeting VoteAt a General Meeting held in ABTA offices today, ABTA Members have voted to change the Articles of the Association to reinforce the duty that ABTA suppliers must honour payment collected on their behalf by retailers if the retailer fails financially.
• 09th Sep 2009ABTA Makes Two Senior AppointmentsABTA has made two new senior appointments, Head of Public Affairs and Head of Destination Strategy and Services both of whom will join ABTA’s management team. These appointments to key positions follow a restructuring which took place earlier this year.
• 09th Sep 2009ABTA’s Response to the Climate Change Committee ReportMark Tanzer ABTA Chief Executive said “We have always fully supported the need for aviation as well as other forms of transport to manage their carbon emissions while balancing this against the customer’s legitimate aspiration to travel.
• 26th Aug 2009ABTA LAUNCHES FIRST ‘RESPONSIBLE HOLIDAY’ DIRECTORYNew system allows consumers to choose sustainable hotels from responsible tour operators
• 06th Aug 2009Sunvil Holidays has joined leading Green InitiativeLeading independent specialist tour operator Sunvil Holidays, is the latest travel company to sign up to the Travelife Sustainability System, a sustainable tourism tool which is supported by a growing number of European trade associations, including the Federation of Tour Operators.
• 04th Aug 2009Stop the Government Taxing Families out of the SkiesABTA is calling on families to write to their MPs and sign up to an online petition to stop the Government increasing the already heavy tax burden on families as they head off for their well earned summer holidays. From 1 November 2009 the Government is intending to raise Air Passenger Duty so that a family of four flying to Florida will pay £180 in tax and a whopping £240 next year when the aviation poll tax is set to rise again. The UK Government is the only one in the world to tax air passengers in this way and these rises will hit families particularly hard as they struggle with the impact of the recession.
• 20th Jul 2009Swine Flu: ABTA’s Advice to HolidaymakersIt is essential that you take out travel insurance at the time of booking. If you or your immediate family are unlucky enough to contract swine flu shortly before you are due to travel you should contact your tour operator, airline and insurance company to cancel your trip. Advice on the symptoms of swine flu and further medical advice are available at www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publichealth/Flu/Swineflu/index.htm
• 16th Jul 2009ABTA Chairman Calls on Industry to Unite Against APD RisesABTA Chairman John McEwan has called on travel bodies such as the Scottish Passenger Agents Association, Passenger Shipping Association and Association of Independent tour Operators to unite with ABTA in calling on the Government to rethink its intention to hike Air Passenger Duty [APD] in November 2009 and again in 2010.
• 16th Jul 2009ABTA Response to APC IncreaseABTA today responded positively to the announcement that the planned increase in APC will be restricted to £2.50 per passenger.
• 14th Jul 2009ABTA Issues Health and Safety AdviceAs millions of British travellers head overseas or to the coast over the next six weeks, ABTA is urging holidaymakers not to forget some basic health and safety points with a new leaflet – How to Have a Safe and Healthy Holiday.
• 29th Jun 2009The Co-operative Travel Signs Up to Green Initiative The Co-operative Travel, is the latest travel business to sign up to the Travelife Sustainability System, a sustainable tourism tool which is supported by a growing number of European trade associations, including ABTA’s Federation of Tour Operators.
• 17th Jun 2009ABTA StatementMark Tanzer, Chief Executive of ABTA, today announced to staff proposed structural changes in the organisation. These changes are part of the continuing integration of ABTA and FTO, following last year’s amalgamation, and part of a wider efficiency drive which includes the recent relocation to smaller premises.
• 11th Jun 2009ABTA/FTO Updates Flu AdviceABTA and FTO have updated a letter for Members to distribute to suppliers and customer noticeboards to reflect the changes to the Pandemic Flu alert level so that suppliers and customers are fully informed of the relevant facts.
• 11th Jun 2009ABTA sends a strong message to the CAAABTA has responded to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) consultation on increasing the ATOL passenger contribution (APC) levy with a call for an extension to the scope of the ATOL scheme to provide financial protection to more holidaymakers.
• 14th May 2009Mallorca Hotels Introduced to the Travelife Sustainability SystemABTA's FTO team has completed three workshops across Mallorca for hotel and accommodation providers to find out more about the Travelife Sustainability System, the industry’s leading environmental protection programme.
• 28th Apr 2009Mexico Flu Outbreak - Update - 28th April 2009FCO advises against non-essential travel to Mexico.
• 27th Apr 2009Swine Influenza in MexicoCurrent information regarding Swine Influenza
• 21st Apr 2009Kuoni Signs Up to Green InitiativeLeading long haul specialist tour operator Kuoni, is the latest travel company to sign up to the Travelife Sustainability System, a sustainable tourism tool which is supported by a growing number of European trade associations, including the Federation of Tour Operators.
• 11th Feb 2009FTO are on the move!FTO are relocating to London with effect from Monday 16th February 2009. Our new contact details are as follows:-
• 05th Feb 2009New Guidelines on Transport Safety issued by the Federation of Tour OperatorsThe Federation of Tour Operators has drafted a new code of practice providing comprehensive and clear cut guidelines for the safe provision of land transport arrangements. With safety standards varying widely worldwide, the FTO code incorporates years of experience with best practice lessons gained in many countries to provide much needed consistency.
• 12th Sep 2008ABTA renews pressure on Government to reform financial protection.Following the failure of XL Leisure Group today, ABTA Chief Executive, Mark Tanzer, called on Government to reform the structure of financial protection.
• 29th Aug 2008ABTA Members offer greater protection against Airline Collapse Yet again many hundreds of customers stand to lose money and will be left stranded abroad following the collapse of an airline. The failure of Zoom demonstrates that the modern package holiday provides more than just good value, infinite variety and incredible choice coupled with the flexibility that travellers today demand. It shows that the package remains the leading product offering unrivalled financial protection for customers.
• 28th Jul 2008FTO launches Animal Attraction Initiative to support animal welfare abroad Members of the Federation of Tour Operators (FTO) have re-affirmed their long-standing commitment to improving animal welfare standards worldwide with the launch of an initiative which will see a detailed assessment of tourist suppliers against the newly revised Travelife Animal Attraction Guidelines.
• 02nd Jul 2008APD Court of Appeal JudgementThe Federation of Tour Operators is disappointed and surprised that the Court of Appeal has today dismissed its appeal against the judgment of its case by Mr Justice Stanley Burnton in the High Court into the Government's introduction of the doubling of Air Passenger Duty. It is now reviewing future options open to it.
• 01st Jul 2008ABTA AND FTO JOIN TOGETHER The Boards of ABTA and the Federation of Tour Operators (FTO) are pleased to announce that they have amalgamated the two organisations with effect from today, 1 July 2008.
• 10th Jun 2008FTO calls for financial protection for all air travellers Airlines are facing difficult times with high and rising jet fuel prices, a global economic downturn, ever fiercer competition from and between the no frills carriers, and rising airport security costs, says Andrew Cooper, Director General of the Federation of Tour Operators.

Press enquiries should be addressed to:
ABTA Press Office: 020-3117-0500
Out of Hours:  Contact the Duty Press Officer via pager: 07659 190987
E-mail: press@abta.co.uk