Representative ImageFrom annual sunshine breaks in the Med to extraordinary round-the-world trips, millions of UK holidaymakers have enjoyed an overseas break with an ABTA member since the travel association launched 75 years ago.
How travel has changed
Holidays have changed considerably since ABTA’s inception, with most people taking domestic breaks, often at a seaside resort in the UK, in the 1950s.
Data from the Office for National Statistics’ International Passenger Survey, which began in 1961, shows trips abroad since then have surged by more than 2,500%. While UK residents took just 3.3 million trips in 1961, this rose to 86.2m according to their latest data set in 20232.
Reasons are many, and include the growth in package holiday options, the introduction of low-cost carriers and the birth of the internet.
When package holidays first became popular, many ABTA experts listed the Balearics, Italian Riviera, Belgium, Austria, Switzerland and Germany as their most booked destinations.
Nowadays, while Europe remains the top choice for overseas trips, visited by 83% of UK travellers according to ABTA’s latest Holiday Habits report, the top 15 most visited destinations also included the USA (4th), Mexico (11th) and Australia (13th)3.
Supporting holidaymakers for 75 years
Established in the summer of 1950, ABTA was created to agree a set of standards for the businesses involved in the emerging world of international travel. Since then, ABTA has helped its members to run successful businesses while also being a constant source of advice, guidance and support for the travelling public. To this day, the ABTA Code of Conduct sets a framework for all members to act and trade responsibly and ‘do the right thing’ by customers.
ABTA helped with the industry’s first significant failure in July 1964 when the collapse of Fiesta Tours, a non-ABTA member, left around 2,000 holidaymakers stranded. In response, ABTA set up the first fund to repatriate customers in the event of a failure, and underlined the importance to customers of their holiday bookings being financially protected.
More recently, the association handled more than 1,400 customer claims following the failure of the original Thomas Cook in 2019. These started to be paid within the first seven days of the company’s collapse.
ABTA also stepped up its advice for holidaymakers during the Covid-19 crisis, by developing a hub of information on ABTA.com to set out everything people needed to know about refunds, the latest travel requirements and future bookings which was viewed more than 1.3 million times in 2020 alone.
ABTA Chief Executive, Mark Tanzer, said: “ABTA was born out of a desire to make travel better; to give people confidence that when they book a holiday with an ABTA member, they know that company is committed to delivering high standards and an exceptional service.
“The holidays our members have booked for their customers have changed hugely since our early years, when the choice of destination and style of trip were more limited. Now, people can book a holiday in practically any location, personalise almost every element of their trip and seek out whatever experience they have in mind.
“What hasn’t changed, however, is ABTA’s role as a constant companion for the travelling public, offering vital peace of mind and much-needed support. We, and our members, are ideally placed to carry on giving people confidence to travel over the next 75 years.”
Sandra McAllister, Managing Director of Althams Travel, one of ABTA’s founding members, said: “We are extremely proud to be one of the founding members of ABTA.
“Althams first stepped into the world of travel with day trips to the seaside, followed by rail and coach holidays both in the UK and abroad, and then air travel. The industry has grown hugely during this time, as the sanctity of the ‘family holiday’ has become increasingly woven into the fabric of everyday life.
“The use of the ABTA logo is essential to us as it instantly signifies ‘trust’ to our customers. ABTA is recognised as the ultimate association offering security, protection and a vital safety net, which is priceless.”
