Back to Homepage Tom Sawyer's Town New York Top Quality Hotels Montana, Great Falls, Helena, Missoula Utah:Natural Setting, Recreation, Archeology and Indians, Agriculture Focus on San Francisco Visit Philadelphia / Hotels in Philadelphia Follow the Sun: Florida Rainbow Countries of Central America South Africa: Land and People African Wildlife: Rhino step back from extinction Antarctica: Ecotourism at the end of the earth The North American Midwest Tourism in New Zealand Ned Kelly's appeal to international visitors Island Travel: Exotic Island Tourism The Evolution of Hawaii The Center of the Pasific: Hawaii - Hotels in Hawaii Kapalua: where heaven meets earth Capri Hvar Island, Crotia Bali (Indonesia) Island Life on Barbados St Lucia: Legend and Leisure St. Vincent: modern outlook, antique style Bermuda: What to See and Do, Where to Eat, Drink Bermuda: What to See and Do What--Where--When of Bermuda Bermuda: How to Go and Where to Stay Sketch History of Bermuda Around-the-Calendar Clothes for Men and Women Bermuda: Sports and Spectator Sports The Rediscovery of Africa How the Greeks Built Cities Roman Cities in Italy and Dalmatia Norway: The Land an the Sea, Relief, Climate, Natural Regions Sweden and the Rest of Fennoscandia, Regional Description Belgium and Luxembourg Finland: Cultural Zones, Structure and Relief Iceland Paris: Famous Places as seen by Great Painters Paris, Franceis exciting and peaceful 48 Hours in Paris Venice: an inundated city Istanbul Turkey in Europe: Istanbul, Edirne, Gallipoli, Bosporus, Sea of Marmara The Pattern of Australian Culture Chinese-Speaking Local Tour Guides in Australia An Analysis of Urban Travel Demands Sport Tourism: A Critical Analysis of Research Where to Complain When Travel Goes Awry Some Characteristics of Tourism Cultural Tourists Travel Agents or Online Booking? Tourism and Cinema How You Can Get More Choice and Value by Booking Your Holiday Online Widespread Interest in Nature Maximizing your travel dollars Tour Operators: Who they are, how they work? Five Reasons To Buy A Tour Package A compilation of the travel advice How Far Cash Go Soon We'll Watch TV as We Travel on Tube Variety the Spice of Life on India Trip USTOA's Consumer Protection Plan You too can be a travel agent How to Be a Travel Agent How to Be Your Own Travel Agent; the Crafty Traveller

USTOA's Consumer Protection Plan Life includes risk, and vacations are no exception. While the vast majority suffer nothing worse than an occasional rainy day, problems sometimes arise. And that makes consumer protection an important consideration in any of your holiday plans. "Our organization's No. 1 priority is to make sure that when that does happen, the consumer does not get stuck," says Robert Whitley, president of the United States Tour Operators Association. The USTOA acts in two ways. First, all its members are required to hold a minimum of $1 million in professional liability insurance, issued by an A or A + rated insurance company, licensed in all 50 states and written on a worldwide basis. Second, and most important, is the organization's $1 Million Consumer Protection Plan. It requires each member to furnish cash, securities, an individual indemnity bond or an irrevocable, collateralized letter of credit in the amount of $1 million to the USTOA. If the firm fails, that money is available to reimburse all customers who have made payment for trips that are cancelled. It has happened: Since the program was created in 1978, the USTOA has refunded $7.5 million to its members' customers. The worst year was 1991, when the Persian Gulf War suddenly depressed overseas travel, leaving many tour operators holding the bag. "Three companies in the USTOA went down as a result of the Gulf War," says Whitley. "We refunded 100 percent, and in most cases the customers didn't even lose their vacation." After that event, USTOA tightened up its membership requirements even further; as a result, there have been no bankruptcies for more than four years. There are other advantages of booking with USTOA members. Their very participation in the plan is a sign of financial stability, and it is based on a stringent screening process. Please take a moment to look through the directory at right-your guide to the best in the tour business. USTOA Membership Directory Home