The Prime Minister is expected back in Parliament next week, when MPs will review and vote again on the Brexit withdrawal agreement. The current political uncertainty is damaging to businesses, and this week we saw FlyBMI identify Brexit as a factor as it filed for administration. Whatever the reasons for that demise, it’s a sad moment for the travel industry, and our thoughts are with those who will lose their jobs as a result.

Voicing the industry’s Brexit priorities
ABTA continues to lobby Government, officials in Brussels and destination governments on the Brexit priorities for the travel industry. We are meeting and speaking with officials from different Government departments on a daily basis – stressing the need to address matters where lack of clarity is already damaging businesses, such as arrangements for posting workers abroad, and seeking clarification on important issues for consumers, such as the EHIC. While we have been encouraged that officials in Government are listening, understand the issues, and are seeking practical solutions, we have little detail on these and until solutions are confirmed, the cost to business continues.

While it is important we work closely with Government on no-deal planning – and ABTA Members should still continue to plan for any eventuality – a no-deal outcome is, we believe, bad for our industry. In December we wrote to MPs urging them to avoid a no-deal outcome, and this week we are writing to the Prime Minister, Secretary of State for Exiting the EU, Shadow Ministers in the Labour Party, as well as influential MPs, to once again state the need to consider all alternatives to avoid no-deal.

Supporting consumer confidence
The latest booking figures from GfK reveal a slowdown in bookings in February, although bookings are still slightly up for Summer 2019 on this time last year. UK travellers are resilient but consumer confidence is fragile, and we are doing what we can to support Members through this booking period. Following the success of our online marketing campaign offering practical advice and reassurances about Brexit which ran at the end of December and reached 1.8 million people, we will be running another marketing campaign over the coming weeks to reiterate this advice. If you would like to redirect your own customers to the latest practical advice on Brexit, our customer advice page is at abta.com/brexit.

Look out for more details.

Mark Tanzer, Chief Executive