Policy

Policy work falls into two main areas; championing consumer protection and choice in travel and fostering fair and competitive digital markets.

Healthy competition in any sector drives innovation, value and quality. This is good for consumers, drives demand and supports wider economic growth. 

Online travel companies allow consumers to compare different airlines or multi-model transport options based on time, date, price and availability, and choose the perfect accommodation, car hire or even travel insurance for them. Even with most consumers choosing to book direct with their travel supplier, many of them are able to make a considered choice because they have researched and compared a broad range of options through one of our members.

Championing consumer protection and choice in travel

OTUK - A mother ties her child's shoe whilst stood at the airport with their family and luggage.

OTUK is calling on the government, policymakers and regulators to:

  • 01

    Adopt a whole government, cross-regulator approach to reforming consumer protections within the travel market.

  • 02

    Deliver simplified, modern and effective protections for consumers, allowing them to make informed choices about booking holidays and travel while also reducing bureaucracy for businesses.

  • 03

    Create a level playing field between online travel companies and other travel businesses to support competition and consumer choice.

Fostering fair and competitive digital markets

Digital innovation is shaping the future of travel. OTUK believes in fostering competition and transparency to drive growth in the travel sector, while prioritising consumer welfare. OTUK advocates for policies that promote fair and open digital markets.

By enabling digitisation and facilitating constructive collaboration with transport and accommodation suppliers, both consumers and the UK economy will reap the rewards.

OTUK principles for fair and competitive digital markets are:

  • 01

    Providing opportunities for interested parties to offer insight, evidence and perspectives that inform the development of rules and regulations to support choice, competition, and consumer protection.

  • 02

    Delivering proportionate regulation that promotes competition, creates a level playing field, and safeguards consumer trust. Addressing longstanding market issues while proportionately accommodating different business models and capacities.

  • 03

    Recognising the need for reform of historic regulatory frameworks, for example, through the UK’s new pro-competition regime for digital markets. Regulatory bodies such as the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) must be able to impose remedies quickly.