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ABTA and the FTO launched three independent expert reports on tourist accommodation safety at a special dinner held in the European Parliament on 18 November hosted by UK MEP, Linda McAvan. The FTO had commissioned reports into three key areas of tourist accommodation safety affecting UK holiday makers abroad: gas safety, fire safety and public health and infections. 

The reports found that there is an uneven implementation of current safety standards across the EU; an urgent need to better understand the number of tourist accommodation incidents across Europe by better data collection in the first instance; and a strong case for the introduction of a new Directive on Tourist Accommodation Safety to ensure that everywhere in Europe has the same high standards when it comes to gas and fire safety and public health co-operation.

The delegation also met with Arlene McCarthy MEP, the former chair of the Internal Market and Consumer Affairs Committee in the European Parliament; senior figures from the European Commission and representatives of the travel industry in Brussels to make the case for why the time is right for new common standards on tourist accommodation safety.

The Brussels delegation visit follows the launch of the gas safety and public health reports in the Houses of Parliament last month.

Mark Tanzer said: “This project was initiated to demonstrate that tour operators are working in a very uneven European safety market. For too long the uneven application of safety laws across Europe has been accepted by the European Union. Our message in Brussels is that we need all tourist accommodation in Europe to hit minimum safety levels and we will continue to push for a new Directive that brings standards up to a common, acceptable level.”

Linda McAvan MEP said: “I am pleased to support the ABTA/FTO initiative to improve tourist accommodation safety. We heard at the dinner that introducing new common standards is a long process that could take a decade. This means it is vital that legislation is started as soon as possible. I will continue to support ABTA and the FTO in their lobbying efforts and am calling on other MEPs from across Europe to back the campaign that fellow UK MEP, Arlene McCarthy, and myself have been leading in the European Parliament for a new Directive on Tourist Accommodation Safety.”

30 November 2009

For further information contact:
Sean Tipton, Senior Press Officer, tel: 020 3117 0513, Frances Tuke, Public Relations Manager, tel: 020 3117 0514, Mobile 07850 712 325, Casia Zajac, Head of Communications, tel: 020 3117 0515, Mobile: 07545 927 411
Out of Hours:  Contact the Duty Press Officer via pager: 07659 190 987
E-mail: press@abta.co.uk
Web: www.abta.com

Notes to Editors
The Authors of the reports were: Gas Safety, John Gregory - Lead Consultant at Gas Safety experts CORGI. Fire Safety, Stewart Kidd – a respected expert in hotel fire prevention. Public Health, Professor Rodney Cartwright - expert microbiologist

ABTA – The Travel Association was founded in 1950 and currently has 1,351 members with 5,700 outlets. Members include travel agents, tour operators and support services right across the spectrum from small family-owned businesses to the largest tour operators. 

ABTA is the largest travel association in the UK and its members provide 90% of the foreign package holidays in the UK as well as selling millions of independent travel arrangements. 

In 2008 ABTA merged with the Federation of Tour Operators [FTO], thereby cementing its role as the leading travel association and increasing benefits for both ABTA and FTO members. Both the ABTA brand which is highly recognised by consumers and the FTO brand which is well known in destinations will be retained.

As part of its comprehensive package of services to members, ABTA, as a non-party political organisation works to represent the interests of its Members to government and key opinion formers in the UK and EU.