Travel Agent or Tour Organiser?

ABTA Endorsement
ABTA and travel industry
partners Arnold Fisher launch
an exclusive Combined Office Insurance policy specifically
for travel agents


Bonding Insurance
Specialist
Travel industry insurance
brokers Arnold Fisher Insurance Services have acquired the
book of business and personnel
of Bonding Insurance Agencies, specialist bond broker for the travel industry


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The Package Travel and Holiday Regulation 1992, define a
Tour Operator (or Organiser) as one who combines two or
more elements of travel.

As Travel Agents find their feet in the evolving dynamic
packaging field, they are increasingly becoming exposed to
the realisation that they themselves are potentially tour
organisers!

If they are shrewd, the travel agent has had the foresight to
buy the right insurance for their company to provide for their
changing circumstances, because few agents these days only
advise clients on tour operators out of the brochure products.
To retain their client, agents have had to go that step further
and make their own packages from specialist consolidators.

The moment a travel agent makes this transition, in the eyes
of the regulations, he has leapt from the status of “agent” to
“principal”. In doing so, he has become the “tour organiser”
and opened both himself and his company up to all liabilities
arising not only from his own errors and omissions, but the
acts of all of the suppliers to the package.

Suddenly the travel agent is responsible for the slip by the
pool, the food poisoning in resort, the safety of the coach
transfer, everything that is included in the package becomes
his legal liability.

Buying the right insurance for the travel agent has never
been more important. If you ever make a package, ensure
that your liability insurances include the definition of Tour
Operator, to prevent facing a very hefty legal bill and even
bigger compensation awards.