ABTA has announced that it will launch a new advertising campaign in early January to urge holidaymakers to book their annual break with a fully ABTA-bonded travel agent.

The ‘Travel with Confidence’ campaign will get underway on 4 January and run until the end of February to take in one of the peak booking periods.

The campaign is being launched in response to the growing issue of fraudulent websites, online scams and non-compliant travel companies that have no financial protection in place in the event of something going wrong.

ABTA will use the campaign to emphasise the importance of using a fully-bonded agent, which provides added security at a time when people have more reason than ever to want to protect their financial interests.

“Over the past year, we have dealt with over 160 cases relating to online scams or to businesses that are trading in direct competition with ABTA Members but are not providing financial protection to their customers,” chief executive Mark Tanzer said.

“Our Members have reported a significant increase in these kinds of fraudulent, non-compliant activities, so our advertising campaign will be encouraging all holidaymakers to stop and think about the company they are booking with. The ABTA brand already enjoys excellent public recognition, with 76% of people feeling more confident booking a holiday with an ABTA Member.

"Our new campaign aims to deepen people’s understanding of the many benefits they receive when they book with an ABTA travel company, and I would encourage all Members to ensure that they are using the ABTA logos and branding so holidaymakers are reassured that they can travel with confidence.”