01 Oct
2020

Write to your MP about the need for specific support for the travel industry

Travel companies are being urged to contact their MP about the need for specific support to help the travel industry through the ongoing coronavirus crisis.

Following the Winter Economy Plan, which was announced by the Chancellor last week, the Save Future Travel Coalition is providing template letters for travel agents and tour operators to send to their local MP on the plight of the industry and the campaign’s key asks, including the need to review the Job Support Scheme.

The Save Future Travel Coalition brings together the leading associations and consortia across the travel sector, including ABTA, Advantage, AITO, ATAS, The BTA, CLIA, SBIT, The SPAA, The Travel Network Group and UKInbound, who have joined forces to lobby together and raise awareness of the industry’s demands.

The template letter, which agents and operators are encouraged to personalise to tell their own story, highlights how travel is a strategically important sector for the UK economy, supporting more than £60bn contribution to the economy and sustaining around 1 million jobs. It also makes the case that the travel industry underpins the UK’s world-leading aviation industry, keeping the UK connected internationally and domestically, with those travelling for leisure and business vital to the viability of many air routes. 

The letter asks for the MP to write to both the Chancellor and the Secretary of State for Transport to urge them to consider the Save Future Travel Coalition’s plan to support travel businesses and protect jobs:

  • A fully regionalised quarantine policy
  • Introduction of testing as an additional mitigation measure
  • Recovery grants for SME businesses, and those left out of previous support
  • Review of the Job Support Scheme
  • APD relief for summer 2021 to boost demand.

The letters are available to download from www.abta.com/savefuturetravel, along with a search tool to help you find the right contact details for your MP. The associations will also be making those directly available to their Members, and will be working together on other initiatives in the weeks ahead.

Luke Petherbridge, ABTA’s Director of Public Affairs said: 

“MPs need to understand that travel is not only viable as a sector, but also invaluable to the economic recovery of the country – and it is critical that the Government does all it can to help businesses and protect jobs.”

Julia Lo Bue-Said, CEO of The Advantage Travel Partnership said:

“There is no more powerful way to get that message across than for travel agents, operators, and those working in the industry, to tell your own personal stories about what is happening to you and your business – and it’s really important that everyone gets behind the campaign.”

Scottish Passenger Agents’ Association (SPAA) President Joanne Dooey said:

“We need MPs to realise that Scotland’s travel industry, as well as that across the UK, is hurting – and our connectivity domestically and internationally is at risk. We know that jobs and businesses are among MPs’ top concerns. They want to know is happening in their constituencies and the impact the pandemic is having on the people they represent. We’re encouraging SPAA Members to get involved in spreading that message.”
 

About ABTA
ABTA 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.