UK Travel agents to be represented by Fita

A new organisation will represent the UK's largest travel agents

Travel Insurance News - 18/03/2010

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The United Kingdom’s largest independent travel agents are to be represented by a brand new body. The Federation of Independent Travel Agents (Fita) was formed after various OTAs expressed worries about the current stance on the EU Package Travel Directive reform taken by Abta

After a meeting with the ITT chairman and various UK agents, it is now believed, however, that the agents are happy with Abta’s stance on consumer protection and reform. Fita will seek to represent the views of Britain’s agents after plans for an alternative association to Abta were shelved.

Those working on the original plan were considering offering bonding and would have been acting as a ‘super-consortium’, working in partnership with Worldchoice, Global Travel Group and Advantage. This ‘son of Triton’ is set to be represented by Fita and play a key role in the organisation.

Worldchoice Chairman Colin Heal will act as vice-chairman of the group, below Steven Freudmann as chairman. Dave Clayton, managing director of Global Travel Group, has also backed the arrival of the organisation.

UK agents are said to have lost faith in Triton after it ceased to be a joint buying group as of April 2008. Advantage also pulled out in October of that year, creating more concern about the group’s future.

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