Saturday’s Coronation will be an occasion for people to come together in celebration, but it will also be an ideal opportunity to showcase the history and tradition of the country. No one does pomp and circumstance better than the UK and, with the eyes of the world on us this weekend, it should provide a very welcome boost for domestic and inbound tourism. 

Although the bulk of our members’ sales are for outbound travel, holidays in the UK represent around 10% of our members’ business. Domestic travel also provided a very welcome lifeline for many through the dark days of the pandemic. 

ABTA works closely with UKinbound, notably with the joint report we released last year on the immense value of both forms of tourism to the UK economy, both financially in contributing £80bn a year, and in creating and supporting a total of 1.5 million jobs. We have many shared areas of interest, most notably in ensuring a smooth and efficient journey through ports and airports both on arrival and departure and we have made it very clear in our regular communications with government departments of the damage that delays – such as those seen recently at Dover – can cause to our members’ businesses and the wider economy. 

Whether or not you plan to celebrate the Coronation yourself, I would like to wish you, your family and friends an enjoyable special Bank Holiday.
 

Mark Tanzer, Chief Executive