Supplying travel services

When supplying travel or travel-related services, you must comply with your obligations under the Australian Consumer Law.

Read more about your obligations

Accurate pricing

The cost of travel fluctuates regularly. You must therefore display:

• the single price for a holiday (based on the most accurate information available)
• clear advice that the price is subject to change
• an explanation of the factors that cause these changes.

You must advise consumers the minimum total cost they will need to pay. This should be provided as:

• a single figure
• a figure that covers the complete cost of the basic package.

You can advertise holiday packages as being ‘from $1,200’. This is fine as long as it includes all the essential components of the price and is correct at the time of printing.

Accreditation

Accreditation means that a business has been approved by an industry body or organisation to provide particular services and advertise themselves in a particular way. It can also be a statement about what is considered to be 'best practice'.

Usually, accreditation is obtained by satisfying a range of eligibility criteria and agreeing to abide by a code of conduct. You may be required to demonstrate how you meet the criteria and comply with the code of conduct each year in order to keep accreditation. There are generally fees involved in being approved by an accreditation organisation. Accreditation is voluntary.

The AFTA Travel Accreditation Scheme (ATAS) is an example of a voluntary accreditation scheme promoted by an industry body, the Australian Federation of Travel Agents.