ATOL kicks off peak holiday booking season reminding consumers to check their booking before taking the holiday plunge

ATOL, the financial protection scheme run by the UK Civil Aviation Authority, is reminding those booking a holiday in 2024 during the peak booking period to check their next trip is financially protected by ATOL before taking the holiday plunge.

ATOL, in its 50th year, launches its campaign on 18 December and runs until the middle of February. Over the last half-century, ATOL has grown to financially protect more than 26 million passengers a year and there are now over 1,600 travel businesses licensed under the scheme.

ATOL recently surveyed around 2,300 people in December and also found nearly three in five (56 percent) of us are planning to go overseas on a summer holiday in 2024.

Those in Northern Ireland were the most likely to go abroad next year (67 percent) followed by those in Wales (57 per cent). Some 55 per cent of those in England plan a trip away in 2024, while Scots were the least likely of those surveyed to go overseas next year (53 per cent).

ATOL’s research also found that among those planning to go on an overseas summer holiday in 2024, 17 per cent have already booked their summer holiday, 23 per cent plan to book it this winter and more than two-thirds (38 per cent) plan to book it in the spring.  Only 17 per cent plan to leave it until the last minute and book it between June and August.

Created in partnership with ab Brand and Marketing Agency, the online and broadcast campaign theme is stop and check before taking ‘the holiday plunge’. It is timed to support the traditional peak holiday booking period and is anticipated to generate over 50 million impressions and encourage up to 400,000 people to visit the ATOL website.

It will feature two videos, each showing a couple and a young child jumping into the pool, who pause in mid-air before they make their big splash to remind people to check their next holiday booking is protected by the ATOL scheme.

Advertising will run on Spotify as well as across various podcasts to increase the opportunity consumers will hear the messaging.

Digital channels including YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and X (previously Twitter) will also be used and content will run across ATOL’s own social media channels, which will encourage consumers to use ATOL’s ‘Check for ATOL’ tool on its website to see if their holiday provider holds an ATOL licence.

This year, ATOL won an award for its 2022 peak-booking campaign promotion and was highly commended for another.

Andrew McConnell, Head of Media and External Affairs for the UK Civil Aviation Authority said: “This year has seen growth in bookings, driving holiday reservations back to pre-pandemic levels, and while unfortunately, we have seen several smaller organisations go out of business this year, ATOL financial protection has provided reassurance by assisting people to get home if they are already abroad or allowing them to make a claim for a refund if they are yet to travel.

“We know from our research that people are already planning their next overseas trip, so before consumers take the holiday plunge, they should use our ‘check for ATOL’ tool to see if their holiday provider holds an ATOL licence.\

“By booking an ATOL-protected holiday, they know they can then relax, knowing they won’t be left out of pocket should anything happen to their travel firm.”

The article ATOL kicks off peak holiday booking season reminding consumers to check their booking before taking the holiday plunge first appeared in TravelDailyNews International.