Travel companies urged to use new online tools to lobby political candidates

ABTA –The Travel Association has today launched #ValueTourism, a new campaign aimed at building greater recognition and support for the travel and tourism sector among those standing in May’s General Election. Candidates for Parliament are particularly keen on listening to voters views at this time and in order to take full advantage of this opportunity to influence, it is essential that the industry puts its views forward in a coherent way.

The election is less than 65 days away and ABTA is urging its Members, the wider travel and tourism industry, and individual employees to get on board with this simple campaign to promote the enormous value of the sector as a source of jobs and growth.

ABTA has contacted over 2,000 candidates from across the political spectrum in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, urging them to support travel and tourism once elected. All candidates will have access to local data on the economic and jobs value of the sector, highlighting the importance of the industry among local voters. Candidates have also been sent a number of easy to share infographics detailing the value of the sector to use on their websites.

These resources and many more including ABTA’s manifesto can be accessed on a new General Election hub at abta.com/ElectionHub. ABTA Members and other stakeholders in the industry are encouraged to make full use of these. The hub also offers a contact point for ABTA’s Public Affairs team, who will work with businesses on how best to lobby and raise the profile of travel and tourism with local political decision makers.

ABTA’s Election hub will also host a live Twitter feed of the campaign’s dedicated #ValueTourism hashtag.

ABTA Members and other supporters can get the ball rolling by:

Getting the message to colleagues and following @ABTATravel and #ValueTourism
Visiting abta.com/ElectionHub to find out key travel and tourism data locally – share this on Twitter and Facebook in a short click using #ValueTourism
Tweet @ your local candidates asking them to support the campaign. If you’re not sure who your candidates are, contact ABTA and we’ll provide their names and details of their Twitter and Facebook profiles – this will include your sitting MP.

ABTA Chief Executive Mark Tanzer said: “The General Election will shortly take centre-stage, with the themes of employment and economic growth central to the pitch that political parties will be making to voters. Our sector makes a huge contribution to the economy, providing over 3 million jobs and generating £127 billion within the economy each year. We now have a precious opportunity to promote our industry’s value and to ask political leaders to give us the recognition we deserve; we must not waste it.

ABTA’s Head of Public Affairs Stephen D’Alfonso said: “#ValueTourism sends a simple and powerful message to candidates: that travel and tourism matters to your voters. The campaign is about mobilising political candidates to show that they #ValueTourism by sharing with them the compelling data highlighting our industry’s impact at a local level, and letting them know that they can support the industry by becoming an advocate.

“Armed with the local data and infographics that we have prepared, travel and tourism businesses all over the country can get behind this campaign, on twitter, Facebook and with help from ABTA’s public affairs team who will give you tips on how to lobby locally.”

“We hope to see as many travel and tourism businesses as possible get involved in order to ensure that our voice is heard as important decisions about our future are made.”