membership profile
ABTOT is suitable for professional and occasional travel organisers and offers protection for non-licensable turnover.
This includes any packages which do not include a flight element as part of the package. Current membership encompasses successful, innovative, customer focused travel organisers. ABTOT is suitable for:
- small to medium sized owner managed travel organisers with a loyal customer base who appreciate the personal service and specialised knowledge provided;
- specialist travel organisers who have found a niche market which their experience and expertise is able to exploit;
- clubs, societies, associations and charities who are not primarily travel organisers, but whose operations have fallen within the scope of the Regulations. ABTOT only requires the "package" element to be bonded, which makes membership attractive to large associations whose main activities fall outside the Regulations.
- ATOL holders with some non-licensable turnover (ABTOT is separate to the ATOL system and is not a substitute for being licensed by the CAA).
- travel organisers offering accommodation only and are requiring membership for marketing purposes and to ensure customer financial protection.
ABTOT as an association are keen to encourage travel organisers to take responsibility for the whole of the package being made available to the customer. In some instances companies providing flights are encouraged to obtain their own ATOL rather than make use of the ATOL of another tour operator. The general policy of ABTOT is that ABTOT membership should be restricted to travel organisers where the total contract price is protected.
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