The world of travel has changed out of all recognition in the last three-quarters of a century, but one constant has remained – ABTA – at the heart of protecting its members and their customers, and building confidence in travel in a volatile, challenging and ever-changing world.
ABTA in 2025
ABTA is the UK’s largest travel trade association, with over 4,300 travel brands in membership who have a combined annual UK turnover of over £40 billion. All our members sign up to the ABTA Code of Conduct and commit to agreed service standards, accurate advertising and fair trading. In our latest research, almost three-quarters (73%) of people said they only trust companies that are members of ABTA. What’s more, over three-quarters (77%) of people said they would recommend booking with an ABTA member to their friends and family, proving the immense value to your business of having the ABTA logo in your shop window, on your website or in your advertising.
Flashback to the early days
In June 1950, ABTA held its first meeting. The venue was a London hotel with 100 people in attendance. ABTA was set up to provide its members, in the emerging world of mass travel, a stronger voice in negotiations with principals and Government, and to look at ways in which members could work together for the benefit of the industry.
Five years later, ABTA was officially incorporated as ‘the Association of British Travel Agents and Institute of Travel Agents Limited’, the first of three titles in its history. These changes reflected changes in business models and mergers and culminated with ABTA Ltd, following a merger with the Federation of Tour Operators in 2007. This merger in particular, brought a wealth of operational experience which the whole membership and their customers continue to benefit from.
Some key events in ABTA’s more recent history include the volcanic ash cloud in 2010, and two of the largest travel company failures on record – Monarch in 2017 and Thomas Cook in 2019, when ABTA supported its members to get thousands of customers back home.
When the UK left the EU, ABTA helped its members to understand and overcome challenges related to new regulations and trading arrangements. And when the industry was shut down by Covid, ABTA introduced Refund Credit Notes, without which many companies may not have survived, and helped members to access vital Government support funds.
75 years of heritage – a platform for supporting members in the future
Throughout its history, ABTA has had to deal with an incredibly wide range of issues, representing and helping members and their customers. Company failures, mass repatriations, evolving technologies, changing consumer needs and new regulations all of these and other as yet unforeseen challenges will rise again. We will be there to help members meet these challenges, as well as supporting them through the period of immense change presented by global warming, geo-political tensions rising and the exponential growth of AI.
Our vision is to be the UK’s most recognised, trusted and influential business association, not just in travel but any business sector. ABTA will remain a byword for high-quality businesses, expertise, high standards and confident, happy customers.
If you’re not yet a member, join us as we begin our next 75 years. To find out more about everything that ABTA can do for your business please contact Den Ashby on [email protected].
