Video Transcript – 50 years of ATOL

Travel is a desire.
It’s part of us.
From childhood nostalgia
to treasured memories with loved ones,
creating unforgettable experiences to share for a lifetime,
a slice of culture,
escaping to the sun, that next big adventure
or simply a moment to relax and recharge.
For the last 50 years,
the way we book our travel may have changed
and our destinations expanded ever further across the world.
But throughout that time, one thing has remained the same.
A trusted companion by your side, ATOL.
We’ve financially protected hundreds of millions
of trips and brought hundreds of thousands
of people home when their operators stopped trading.
In the summer of 1973,
the first air travel organisers licences were issued
to companies selling package holidays
by the Civil Aviation Authority, which runs the ATOL scheme.
Over those 50 years,
we have made sure UK consumers
booking package holidays can fly overseas
knowing they will be helped home or refunded
in the unlikely event their operator goes out of business.
We were there in 1974 when Clarksons Travel collapsed
helping tens of thousands of holiday makers
who would’ve been stranded abroad get back to the UK.
We were also there in 1991
when the International Leisure Group became bankrupt,
and in 2008, when the XL Leisure Group folded.
You may remember the hundreds of thousands affected
when Monarch Airlines and Thomas Cook collapsed
in 2017 and 2019.
We gave holiday makers much needed support
and even delivered the biggest repatriation
of people since the Second World War.
Thankfully, travel firm ceasing
to trade is a rare occurrence.
As we celebrate our 50th anniversary,
you should know ATOL has got you covered.
A lot has happened in the last half century
but our core principle has stayed the same.
Financially protecting your package trips
so you can enjoy travel as it’s meant to be.
So when you book your next trip,
always check it is ATOL protected.
ATOL, financially protecting your holidays since 1973.