Foreign travellers to the US face paying a fee of $10 to help fund a planned new body to promote tourism to the country. The Corporation for Travel Promotion public-private partnership is due to be approved by President Obama after winning Senate approval.

The initiative is funded through a matching program of up to $100 million in private sector contributions and a $10 fee on visitors to the US who do not pay $131 for a visa to enter the country. The fee will be collected once every two years in conjunction with the Department of Homeland Security’s Electronic System for Travel Authorisation. This will mean the US taxpayer will avoid making any contribution.

The Corporation will work with the US departments of Commerce, Homeland Security and State to develop a nationally co-ordinated, multi-channel marketing and communications program to attract more international visitors and explain changing travel security policies.

Caroline Beteta, chair of the US Travel Association and president and CEO of the California Travel & Tourism Commission, said: “We know how successful a public-private partnership to promote travel can be from our own experience at the state level.

“With the best minds coming together from government and private industry to boost international travel to our country, we can make travel an even stronger economic engine for America.”

Commenting on legislation which establishes the Corporation, US Travel Association president and CEO Roger Dow said: “The United States Congress has sent a clear message that travel is a high priority to our nation and that tangible steps must be taken to increase travel to and within the United States.”

It has also been reported that US airlines must also take an active role in the new partnership, not out of good-will, but out of self-interest by purchasing advertising space on the DiscoverAmerica.com website once the site traffic has increased and thus improving their own exposure.

British Airways picture by Flickr User BribriTO

Following on from the British Airways strike news in my previous blog (here) a further blow has been dealt to those passengers who booked flights after 2nd November, the date Unite first announced that they were to hold a strike ballot. The Association of British Insurers (ABI) have announced that it is unlikely that passengers will be covered by insurance policies as they should have ‘assumed’ a walkout would occur.

“Travel insurance is designed to cover unforeseen events and circumstances you could not be reasonably expected to be aware of” said Malcolm Tarling, of the ABI.

“When the strike ballot was announced, it was reasonable there would be strike action. If you can be reasonably expected to know something is happening then you are not covered.”

The airline has promised to refund the price of cancelled flights, however no other additional costs caused by the cancellations will be covered.

Bob Atkinson, travel expert from travelsupermarket.com, described the cabin crew strike as “double disaster” for BA.

“Its customers are now going to be significantly affected and the airline will take a financial hit from the action,” he said.

“It’s an incredibly sad day for the British Airways brand. It’s 12 years since BA staff members have taken direct action and, whilst they may believe they have a strong case in their disagreement with BA management, the real losers here are the everyday leisure and business customers who will have their Christmas and new year plans disrupted.”

An overhaul of the ATOL passenger protection scheme does not go far enough, according to consumer watchdog Which? Holiday. A ‘flight plus’ element is to be suggested in an effort to close the passenger protection loophole when different travel components are booked together with a flight. This leads on from my blog earlier in the week on the Parliamentary Transport Committee suggesting that ATOL protection should cover all flights and not just package holidays, see the full blog here.

Responding to the revamp of the system announced by transport secretary Lord Adonis, the body’s head of research Rochelle Turner said: “The ATOL scheme in its current form provides great protection for anyone taking a package holiday or booking through an ATOL bonded agent.

“But a significant number of people book hotels from direct links on airline websites, or use online travel agents to book their own package, and could be left without the peace of mind that they are protected should something go wrong.

“While it’s great that the Government is taking steps to make the scheme relevant to today’s holidaymaker, we are concerned it doesn’t go far enough to ensure that all travellers are equally protected.

“The proposed ‘flight plus’ category needs clarification to prevent consumers being left open to loopholes which may leave them stranded should something go wrong.”

Flight plus’ measures have been proposed whereby ATOL protection would include all sales of a flight together with another significant element, such as hotel accommodation or car hire.

Which? Holiday said it is aware of a growing trend towards “reverse packaging”, where people are booking hotel accommodation and then booking their flights through a link on the hotel website.

This would not be covered under the proposed changes to the ATOL scheme, the body claims.

The proposals to reform the ATOL scheme are designed to reflect changes in the holiday market and make it easier for those booking holidays to understand whether their trip is covered or not, the Department for Transport said.

The changes could see the new wider ‘flight-plus’ category introduced, to make clear that anyone booking a flight and another holiday component such as car hire or hotel will be protected by the scheme.

The ATOL scheme reform plans are subject to a 12-week public consultation.

Detailing the ATOL review, the DfT said: “The objective of the reforms in the consultation is to provide greater clarity for consumers and the travel trade about the scope of ATOL protection for holidays and flights.

“‘Flight plus’ measures are proposed whereby ATOL protection would include all sales of a flight together with another significant holiday element.

“In addition, the consultation provides options to clarify the financial protection of flight-only sales, by parties other than an airline, so as either to include or exclude them from the ATOL scheme.”

Here is a piece I have written for the Update pages of the next Holiday Villas magazine (to be published Oct 24). As many of you are concerned about the possible future collapse of more airlines, I thought it would be helpful to post it here now:

When you book your next villa or apartment holiday, make sure you choose your travel insurance carefully, tourism experts have advised, after the collapse of airline and charter company XL Leisure.

Many independent travellers who booked flights with  XL discovered, too late, that their insurance policy did not cover airline failure. In some cases they had to dig deep to pay for expensive return tickets with other airlines at the end of their holidays.

If you book accommodation through Holiday Villas or www.villaseek.com, and then fix up your flight separately, we advise you to get cover for possible airline collapse.

Only a  small number of companies offer this, although more are starting to do so. They include: the Post Office; Swiftcover; Karma Insurance, and International Passenger Protection Ltd (IPP). You may also be able to get an add-on policy through your existing insurer – it’s worth asking. Or, for about £4 internet insurer InsureFor offers a standalone policy for supplier failure to add on to an existing insurance you have with any other company.

If you pay for your flights by credit card you have some protection, though a refund will only kick in if your flight cost more than £100. Incidental costs will not be paid but the company should pick up the bill for getting you back to Britain.

Useful websites are: protectmyholiday.com; postoffice.co.uk; swiftcover.com; insurefor.com. Or you can find a list of travel insurance providers on the travel services page of villaseek.com.