This week we have launched a new joint report with UKinbound – International Travel: Powering the UK economy – which evidences the economic value of international travel. It offers a strong argument as to why the Government needs to put in place policies to boost the UK travel industry, both in recovering from Covid-19 and laying the foundations for a prosperous and sustainable future.

Not only will this evidence support our current engagement with Government as we look ahead to the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement in two weeks’ time, it’s a report that we’ll use in the long-term, to underpin our work with Government and political representatives across the four nations and as we look ahead to the next General Election. 

The report finds that together inbound and outbound travel generate £80bn in Gross Value Added (GVA) for the UK economy and support 1.5 million jobs. Every corner of the UK benefits from international travel. That means money coming into local economies, supporting local businesses and local jobs. As we saw over the pandemic, policies which work against travel have a detrimental impact on the industry and wider economy, with jobs lost, reduced GVA and less tax contributed to the Treasury. 

For the first time ever, the research is also available at a constituency level, meaning ABTA Members, as well as the wider industry, can access data on the contribution travel makes to their local economies and communities. We’re encouraging Members to share the data for your constituents with your local MP and representatives, and there is a template letter to help you do that which can be found here.

We hope everyone who cares about the future our industry can get involved in speaking up for travel and the vital role we play in the UK economy. 

Read the full report here. 

Mark Tanzer, Chief Executive