Association of British Travel Agents

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The Association of British Travel Agents, commonly abbreviated to ABTA, is a trade organisation of British travel agents, founded in 1950. It is the UK's premier trade association for travel agents and tour operators.

As of May 2005, it has 6310 Travel Agent members, and 1052 Tour Operator members; 90% of package holidays in the United Kingdom are sold through these members.

ABTA - The Travel Association, is the organisation which represents UK travel agents and tour operators responsible for the sale of around over 90% of package holidays and approximately 45% of independent travel arrangements. It’s ABTA’s role to ensure that you, the customer, benefit from consistently high standards of trading practice in the travel industry; that the standards of service and business throughout the membership are of the highest calibre. As such, ABTA’s famous symbol has come to represent choice and value.

They aim to maintain the high standards of service amongst its members, as well as creating as favourable a business climate as possible for the industry. Specific objectives include: To establish an organisation which is fully representative of travel agents and tour operators in the UK; to promote and develop the general interests of all members of ABTA; To establish and maintain codes of conduct between members and the general public, with the object that membership of the Association will be recognised as a guarantee of integrity, competence and high standards of service; To discourage unfair competition without in any way interfering with initiative and enterprise based on fair trading; promote friendly relations with others in the travel industry; Provide means for negotiations and liaison with other bodies concerned with the development of travel both in the UK and abroad.

It is primarily known among the public for providing financial protection to consumers who book package holidays via members.

The organisation has an annual meeting.