Influencing the policies that matter to travel

ABTA’s Public Affairs team, working closely with members, has had a busy start to the year responding to consultations and advancing members’ interests across a wide range of policy areas. Through engagement with governments, regulators and policymakers, the team has helped ensure that the industry’s voice is heard and reflected in decisions that shape the operating environment for members’ businesses. 

Consultations this spring have covered a broad range of issues affecting members' businesses. In response to the Government's tourism inquiry, ABTA highlighted the importance of outbound travel and called for a more joined-up approach to tourism policy, including action on border friction, workforce challenges and the cost of travel. 

ABTA has also continued to champion improvements to the UK's relationship with the EU, emphasising the importance of delivering commitments made at the UK-EU Summit, reducing barriers to travel and ensuring the rollout of new border systems minimises unnecessary disruption for travellers. 

In Scotland and Northern Ireland, ABTA has pressed the case for policies that support connectivity and competitiveness, warning against measures that could increase costs for travellers or place UK destinations at a disadvantage. This has included engagement on the future of Air Departure Tax in Scotland and Northern Ireland's long-term aviation strategy. 

Meanwhile, in response to proposals to expand the UK Emissions Trading Scheme to international maritime voyages, ABTA highlighted the risk of increased costs and regulatory complexity for travel businesses and consumers, arguing that international solutions are likely to be more effective than unilateral action as well as arguing against the expansion of the ETS to Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies.

Alongside consultations, ABTA has continued to work closely with industry partners on the rollout of the EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES), highlighting the need for practical contingency arrangements to manage passenger flows during peak travel periods.  There is also a need for better coordination, adequate staffing, better take up of digital tools such as the Travel to Europe app, and improved sharing of best practice across key European gateways. ABTA has been working with Airlines UK, and other associations across the globe to make the case, both at the EU Commission and directly with destination governments, for a pragmatic approach which balances the security benefits of EES with the need to protect the passenger experience.  

Taken together, this body of work reflects the breadth and complexity of issues affecting the travel industry, and the importance of ABTA and its members working closely together to shape effective outcomes. Members will have the opportunity to explore these issues further at the Public Affairs team’s Travel Matters conference on 9 June. Further details on the agenda and registration are available here.

Mark Tanzer, Chief Executive