InteleTravel managing director UK and Ireland Tricia Handley-Hughes confirmed the decision to TTG on Wednesday (28 February).

"It is a temporary suspension," said Handley-Hughes. "We are in dialogue with Touchdown to get more details on this so that we can resolve the issue."

Update: Touchdown ends pause on InteleTravel bookings

TTG understands the suspension relates to InteleTravel agents sharing Touchdown’s trade-only rates with people outside the industry who do not meet its eligibility rules.

The Touchdown website features a long list of those eligible for its discounted rates, which covers the vast majority travel trade roles.

Discounts are, though, available to non-travel industry professionals in certain circumstances.

Immediate family members of eligible travel trade employees, whether they’re travelling with them or not, can access Touchdown’s rates, as can friends travelling with eligible current and retired employees.

InteleTravel declined to comment further beyond Handley-Hughes’s initial statement.

Touchdown Holidays was formed by industry professionals in 1989 to create a professional organisation to administer the many concessionary travel benefits available to travel employees.

It merged with Travel Industry Services in 2018 to create Touchdown Travel Industry Services, which now arranges travel for more than 35,000 travel trade professionals each year.

TTG has also approached Touchdown Travel Industry Services for comment.