Holidays, travel and motoring

Helpful guidance on the advertising rules for ads about Holidays, Travel or Motoring, and examples of previous Advertising Standards Authority rulings in these areas.

When it comes to buying a holiday or a car, there is an array of consumer choice. There are dozens of comparative websites out there to make the decision easier but it is important consumers can trust all holiday, travel and motoring ads they see not least because their purchasing decisions can often be expensive ones.

Holiday and travel ads should ensure they don’t mislead consumers and should contain all non-optional taxes, duties, fees and charges that apply to most buyers in their quoted price. Holiday advertisers should ensure that their descriptions are accurate and the photos which they feature in their ads are representative of what’s being offered. They should also ensure they have evidence to back up any comparative claims they are making in their ads and proof of availability of an offer.

Motoring ads must also make sure they don’t mislead consumers but another important part of the advertising rules they must adhere to are those around social responsibility.

Adverts for cars must not condone or encourage unsafe or irresponsible driving, such as not wearing a seatbelt, or depict speed in a way that might encourage motorists to drive irresponsibly or break the law. Car ads are permitted to give general information about a vehicle's performance such as acceleration, braking power, road holding and top speed, but they cannot make speed or acceleration claims the main message of their ads or link speed with excitement.

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Latest rulings

Alpha Holidays Ltd
- Upheld
- Website (own site)
- 01 September 2021
We banned an ad for falsely suggesting holidays could be cancelled without charge before specified dates.
BMW (UK) Ltd
- Upheld
- Radio
- 14 July 2021
A radio ad for BMW was banned for demonstrating the power of a car in a way that suggested excitement and not in the clear context of safety.
Vauxhall Motors Ltd
- Upheld
- Television
- 07 April 2021
A TV ad for the Vauxhall Corsa was not found to be misleading.
Team HARD Racing Ltd
- Upheld
- Social media (paid ad), Website (paid ad)
- 17 March 2021
A paid-for Instagram post and a website post promoting a competition to win a car breached the CAP Code as it was administered unfairly.

View all rulings

Holidays, travel and motoring

Helpful guidance on the advertising rules for ads about Holidays, Travel or Motoring, and examples of previous Advertising Standards Authority rulings in these areas.

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Alpha Holidays Ltd

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