The founder of a UK insurance firm will jet into Sydney for talks with the Australian Federation of Travel Agents next month as the industry explores ways to protect travel agents and consumers in the event of company collapses.
Brian McLean, the founder and managing director of International Passenger Protection (IPP), will hold meetings with the AFTA board and the broader industry over the possible launch of consumer protection insurance product in a post-Travel Compensation Fund world.
While there is no guarantee that policies will materialise, AFTA said the visit of McLean, who is making his first trip to Australia, demonstrates the seriousness of IPP’s intentions.
The lack of any meaningful financial protection for consumers post-TCF has been among the major concerns for the industry. There are fears of a public backlash when the next travel firm goes to the wall and holidaymakers are left out of pocket and with their travel plans in tatters.
Travellers will be refunded if a TCF member collapses before June 30 2014 but after that date, they will be left high and dry.
“[The trip] is an important step as we look to cement the commercial solutions that we have been talking about to add to the AFTA Accreditation scheme going forward,” AFTA chief executive Jayson Westbury said, adding that it was an “important plank” to support the voluntary accreditation scheme.
“As we start to understand the full detail for the delivery of the insurance products required to help travel agents better protect themselves and their clients, this visit is a critical step in the process.”
Westbury, who said IPP “stood out from the pack” of insurance firms, described himself as “really excited” at the prospect of new insurance products.
“[It will mean] that travel agents, be they big or small, will be able to provide solutions to address customer protection policies into the future,” he said.
Being a large firm, any travel agent, whether they are an AFTA member or not, will be able to take advantage of any policies that IPP release, Westbury added.
