hi guys! your views, pls?

[gungadin]

Hi guys!
I have only just joined up and already Im firing on all cylinders with questions!

My main query, if anyone here can help at all, is that I want to start my own business specialising in travel to India ( yes, I know, there are many already!), but after making preliminary enquiries, I have found that you have to be affiliated to either ABTA or ATOL, which means that you ahve to put up around £30k of your own money to provide a guarantee to customers purchasing travel through your business.

Now, main thing is that I dont have £30k to put up, but what I have found are one or two firms who are doing a similar thing to mine, and are advertising here in the UK, but are based in India.

Looking through their literature, they do not have any ATOL or ABTA cover, nor any other cover originating in India.

My plan is to set up a website through which bookings can be taken, but the business to be based in India.

So my question is this: is it legal to advertise in the UK press for holidays in India (or elsewhere for that matter really), without showing any ATOL/ABTA cover? :|

 

[Tej]

You are a good man GungaDin

You have to ask the press whether they will accept your advertisements without the basic ATOL/ABTA.. etc cover.

Will you be able to advertise/sell package holidays/airline tickets to the public without a bond?.. or really would the public buy from you?

I would imagine you would have problems with Insurance too.

Would the airlines sell tickets to you?.. or would you have to buy them from the main agents... If so.. would that be cost effective.

Just my 2 cents