Essex-based travel consultant David Irons decided to compile the list after receiving a “hugely encouraging” response to a comment he posted on Facebook group Travel Gossip highlighting the issue, which attracted more than 200 “likes” and 108 comments.

Irons, who is a homeworker for Spear Travels, told TTG he believed “an industry-wide list” of price-matching operators would help tackle the “age-old” problem of operators undercutting agents.

He also hopes that such a scheme will work towards “building stronger connections” between agents and suppliers, and stop the distrust between the two.

“You come across it [undercutting] all the time and it’s a part of the business that agents do struggle to match,” Irons said. “Being a regular reader of the [Travel Gossip] group I kept seeing posts about it, and just thought something needed to be said.

“The public can use so many ways of booking these days and once agents quote them a price they do sometimes disappear and get a cheaper deal with the operator directly.”

Since posting his comment last week, Irons, who has spent more than 25 years working in travel, has been approached by “several” operators interested in pledging their support for a future list.

“I’ve had lots of feedback from [operators] saying they’d like to promote any plans we had but it’s still early days yet,” Irons said.

“It’s been brilliant to see that there are so many agents and operators out there who support the idea and want to move things forward.”