Worldchoice offering ABTA alternative

Worldchoice is offering travel agents a new type of membership promoted as an alternative to ABTA.

The cost to members would be approximately £250 less than membership with the ABTA, the travel network is claiming.

Simon Hargreaves, the managing director of Worldchoice, said: “We have set ourselves the aim of making membership of the scheme at least £250 cheaper than current ABTA costs for our members.

He added: “Just like ABTA, there will be an application process to check certain financial details, but we want to avoid red tape and make the process simple but effective.”

According to the travel consortium, the scheme would enable members to act as travel agents outside the ABTA.

Membership in this new class would continue to be based on the existing ACAS payment system and the protection arrangements associated with it.

Customers would be protected by the same level of security as with ABTA, but at a lower cost, Worldchoice has asserted.

Current levels of business partner protection will also be maintained.

Worldchoice is presenting a proposal on the scheme to its members this week, so that those interested in moving away from ABTA membership have enough time to make the necessary adjustments before their subscriptions to ABTA become due in June.

Thanks to www.travelmole.com for the above quotes, for more information on this article please visit their website.

www.worldchoice.co.uk