Alistair Darling? I'd rather use a travel agent!

When it comes to putting their all-important summer holiday in the hands of someone reliable, most people would run a mile from Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling, according to a new report released today.

With just 5% of the vote, the man who bailed out the banks to the tune of £37bn came bottom of a poll, commissioned by national independent travel agent consortium Advantage Travel Centres, to find the household name that holidaymakers would most trust to book their annual two weeks in the sun – way behind Girls Aloud singer Cheryl Cole (23.2%) and former consumer champion Esther Rantzen (29.5%).

Advantage also discovered that a staggering 72.3% of Brits are not certain which elements of their holiday, or under what circumstances, they would be protected if their travel provider failed – further reinforcing the industry’s claim that greater clarity, through legislation change, is needed on the issue.

Just over half of the population said they would consider using a travel agent to book their 2009 holiday (50.5%, up from 47.3% in the last three years), suggesting financial protection and professional advice are ‘must haves’ in the current recession.

Advantage Travel Centres Chief Executive John McEwan said: “Our survey results demonstrate how the issue of trust is becoming increasingly important where holiday bookings are concerned, as well as revealing, for the first time, how the UK’s confusing consumer protection rules for the travel industry leave most people unsure about whether their money is safe should their holiday provider go bust.”

Other results from Advantage’s ‘Love Travel, Love Your Travel Agent’ (loveyourtravelagent.com) survey include:

When it comes to holiday purchases over £1,000 in value, travellers say they far prefer the peace of mind they get from talking through their booking with a travel agent (45.9%), compared to making the purchase online (26.1%).

Better knowledge of destinations (32.9%), financial protection (26.4%), improved service (17.8%) and cheaper prices (13.8%) were all listed as reasons to choose a travel agent rather than making a web-based booking.

John McEwan commented further:

“Right now, people across the country will be thinking about escaping the economic gloom and choosing their annual holiday. And in the current climate, nobody wants to make an expensive mistake. Booking a holiday certainly isn’t a job for amateurs.”

The switch back to agents comes as ABTA predicts this weekend will be one of the busiest holiday sales days for the high street.

Mark Tanzer, Chief Executive of ABTA said: "With many people receiving their first pay packet after Christmas, this weekend will see a surge in bookings.

"There are still some great offers available with free kids' places especially good news for families, but these are selling fast and won't necessarily be available in a month's time. Holidaymakers should be aware that operators have cut back on the number of holidays they are selling so it will be less easy to get great last-minute deals. If you see a holiday bargain now that suits your pocket, book it! It may not be there later in the year."

Further survey results showed that Olympic cycling hero Sir Chris Hoy (12.5%), Strictly Come Dancing star John Sergeant (14.6%) and foul-mouthed chef Gordon Ramsey (15.2%) all ranked higher than the Treasury’s top man as the British public’s preferred person to make their holiday booking.

For further details on the ‘Love Travel, Love Your Travel Agent’ campaign and to find your nearest Advantage agent, log on to Loveyourtravelagent.com.