Exploring Legislation and Ethics in the Travel and Tourism Industry

This report provides an overview of the legal and regulatory framework governing the travel and tourism sector, with a focus on the UK. It discusses key organizations like ABTA, SRA, Health and Safety Commission, IATA, and CAA, highlighting their roles in regulating the industry. The report also examines various transport legislations, including the Air and Road Act 1979, Athens Convention 1974, and Carriage Passengers by Road Act 1974, emphasizing the responsibilities of transport service providers in ensuring passenger safety and security. Furthermore, it touches upon criminal and civil laws relevant to the tourism sector, particularly concerning contracts and compensation. The document references several academic sources to support its analysis of sustainable tourism and the impacts of climate change on the industry. Desklib provides students access to similar solved assignments and past papers.

Legislation and Ethics in the
Travel
and Tourism Sector

1.1 Legal and regulatory framework of the travel and
tourism sector
• Travel and tourism sector in the UK is mainly governed by association of British
travel agents and it also analyses problems and solves them that are common in
the industry.
• This association also operates travel booking processes, codes and other
processes .

Cont.…
• ABTA: As per research, it is analysed that tourism laws and legislation under
Wales and England are governed by ABTA. Objective behind the formation of
ABTA is to ensure that travel booking by agents and permits will be taken
according to legislations.

Cont..
• Strategic Rail Authority (SRA): Aims at management of services along with the
laws that are determined under transportation act 2000; designed to facilitate the
transport purposes and strategies applied by British railways.
• Health and Safety Commission: Objective of commission is to derive safety
benefits to the public and workers under tourism industry.

Cont....
• International Air Transport Association: It regulates functioning and the
formulation of laws as well as strategies which are concerned towards change in
direction if exists in industry.
• Air travel organizer's licensing: Responsible for the maintenance of licenses
and providing support to the service providers like Thomas Cook Ltd in terms of
holiday packages which have been provided under tourism sector.

Cont....
• CAA: Responsible to strategize and implement the laws and regulations of
UK aviation industry. It is the primary regulatory authority of British
aviation industry only and not at the international level like IATA.
• Criminal law: These are legislative authorities for the UK aviation industry
that focus on maintaining the structure of tourism industry and society.

Cont....
• Civil law: In the tourism sector of UK, civil laws focus on governing operations
of various tourism packages and contracts which are undertaken by companies to
cover the parties under tourism and providing compensation in case of breach of
contract.

1.2 Surface, sea and air transport legislations law in relation to
the carriage of passengers
• Transportation facilities or the mode of transport are used while carrying out the
tourists from one place to another when responsibilities of transport service
provider are strict in relation to safety and various injuries which are caused
during the transport.

Cont....
• Air and Road act 1979: As per air and road act 1979, transport service providers
are required to ensure that people at the time of journey will remain safe and
secure from any kind of problem.

Cont....
• Athens convention year 1974: It has determined that international
transportation of the sea should be regulated for ships, vessels and cargos. During
the travel, service providers need to ensure that passengers and their luggage will
remain protected from any physical and mental harm as well as it does not them
any type of loss or damage while any types of loading and unloading the vessel
or ship service will responsible for the same.

Cont....
• Carriage passengers by road act 1974.: It governs the safety of travellers
along with their luggage. Further, legislations so provided are present at the
association of British coach for having the best coaches.
• Domestic carriage order of 1987: Aims to protect the domestic transport in
travel and safety whereas Athens convention act governs the international
carriage.

REFERENCES
• Guttentag, D., 2015. Airbnb: disruptive innovation and the rise of an informal
tourism accommodation sector. Current issues in Tourism. 18(12). pp.1192-1217.
• Hall, C. M., Gossling, S. and Scott, D. eds., 2015. The Routledge handbook of
tourism and sustainability. Routledge.
• Camus, S., Hikkerova, L. and Sahut, J. M., 2012. Systemic analysis and model of
sustainable tourism. International Journal of Business. 17(4). p.365.