Package Travel Regulations compliance is an important legal requirement for all travel businesses selling package holidays in the UK. Referring to compliance with The Package Travel Regulations 2018, it is one of the biggest steps to ensuring consumer confidence. It also allows travel businesses to run smoothly. But how does it affect your business?
Package Travel Regulations Compliance
Under the Package Travel Regulations, a package is defined as:
- A pre-arranged combination of at least two elements, including:
– Accommodation,
– Transport, or
– other tourist services accounting for a significant part of the trip. - Offered for sale at an inclusive price,
- Either over 24-hours or including overnight accommodation.
This definition includes bespoke trips put together at the request of the client. It also includes domestic trips that do not include flights. It also includes packages sold with separate accounts for each element, as long as the package is still sold as one whole under one price.
If you are selling packages as laid out by this definition, you must be compliant. Linked Travel Arrangements also fall under this legislation for UK travel businesses.
ATOLs within Compliance
If you are planning to sell package holidays that include flights, then you will also need an Air Travel Organisers’ Licence (ATOL) to maintain Package Travel Regulations compliance. ATOLs are offered through the CAA or through an ATOL Franchisee such as Protected Trust Services (PTS).
All tour operators and travel agents selling packages that include flights must provide an ATOL certificate. They may also need certain other documentation. This should be provided before, during, and after the sale of the flight-inclusive booking. If the booking you sell doesn’t include flights, this won’t require any ATOL involvement.
These ATOL procedures fall in with the requirements for Package Travel Regulations compliance. It’s important for all travel businesses to ensure they have the necessary licence to sell their holidays so the consumers can be assured of the correct protection and the booking can proceed smoothly. With that consumer confidence also comes business growth.
All PTS Members Are Fully PTR Compliant
At Protected Trust Services (PTS) it’s an important factor that we ensure all PTS members are fully Package Travel Regulations compliant. This allows us to support quality travel businesses that we trust and the consumers can trust too. Because PTS members are experienced and expert travel businesses, this is fairly simple to do.
PTS ensure that our members are Package Travel Regulations compliant. We do this through the use of our travel trust account and insurance model. Our members offer clients a great support system and complete financial protection that is transparent. They do this easily by using consumer protection methods that are effective, trustworthy, and comply with the Package Travel Regulations.
What Full Package Travel Regulations Compliance Means for You
PTR compliance in any approved capacity means that you as a travel company are ensuring your clients’ monies are fully protected. Whatever type of travel business you are, and whatever awesome packages you’re offering, proving to your clients that their monies are entirely safe when they book with you goes a long way to ensuring consumer confidence and consumer retention.
Any travel company can ensure complete PTR compliance through either bonding, insurance or trust account. Bonding is an incredibly expensive option, and insurance is generally case dependant. However, a trust account is more cost-effective for any travel company. The PTS travel trust account also ensures that the monies are properly separated and are efficiently processed throughout the booking process, so if a client needs monies back or just wants to know where they are, you don’t have to worry, PTS is just a phone call away.
PTS specialises in Package Travel Regulations compliance and offers an affordable, easily managed solution. This includes merchant services and software, making Package Travel Regulations compliance simple, efficient, and stress-free.
So, if you would like to learn more about Package Travel Regulations compliance with PTS, please get in contact with one of PTS’ lovely staff members by calling 0207 190 9988. Or, you can visit our member support and travel trust account pages to learn more about how we protect you.
