ABTA has written to local authorities in England urging them to make Local Restrictions Support Grants available to travel businesses following the new nation-wide lockdown. Letters have also been sent to the First Ministers of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, to highlight the need for tailored support for all travel businesses across the UK, in particular ensuring that they are eligible for devolved grant funding and other local support mechanisms.

Local Restrictions Support Grants have a value of up to £3,000 and ABTA believes that with all leisure travel prohibited in lockdown, travel businesses have a very strong case to be eligible for the grant.

ABTA has also created a template letter for Members providing them with the information needed to contact their local councillor asking that they also request from their local authority that travel businesses are included in the list of those eligible to apply for the grants.

This approach to local government is the just the latest that ABTA has made to the relevant authorities requesting support for travel agents and tour operators, emphasising the vital role they play in providing employment as well as an important, valued service to local communities.

Later this week ABTA will be submitting the findings of its most recent Member survey to the Government, which reveals the devastating impact of the COVID 19 pandemic on Members’ businesses. This is part of ABTA’s ongoing engagement with Ministers and officials which has been constant throughout the pandemic.

Luke Petherbridge ABTA Director of Public Affairs said:

“We believe that our Members have a very strong case for Local Restrictions Support Grants and have written to local authorities making that argument on their behalf. ABTA continues to lobby Government about the need for tailored support for the travel industry and our Members also have a crucial role to play.

“As well as contacting your local councillor and writing to your MP, we’re also asking Members and the wider industry to sign ABTA’s Save Future Travel petition, and encourage your colleagues, friends and family also to sign up, as once it reaches 100,000 signature, it will trigger a much needed debate in Parliament.”

Notes to editors
Sign the petition: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/552725
Find out more about Save Future Travel: abta.com/savefuturetravel

About ABTAABTA has been a trusted travel brand for 70 years. Our purpose is to help our Members to grow their businesses successfully and sustainably, and to help their customers travel with confidence.

The ABTA brand stands for support, protection and expertise. This means consumers have confidence in ABTA and a strong trust in ABTA Members. These qualities are core to us as they ensure that holidaymakers remain confident in the holiday products that they buy from our Members.

We help our Members and their customers navigate through today's changing travel landscape by raising standards in the industry; offering schemes of financial protection; providing an independent complaints resolution service should something go wrong; giving guidance on issues from sustainability to health and safety and by presenting a united voice to government to ensure the industry and the public get a fair deal.
ABTA has more than 4,300 travel brands in Membership, providing a wide range of leisure and business travel services, with a combined annual UK turnover of £39 billion. For more details about what we do, what being an ABTA Member means and how we help the British public travel with confidence visit www.abta.com.