The association said it had “always maintained public health must come first” but that “it is clear travel businesses will need additional support to get through the next few weeks”.
Prime minister Boris Johnson announced the creation of Tier 4 restrictions on Saturday 19 December banning international leisure travel for people living in London, the south-east and east of England.
He said residents in those areas “will not be permitted to travel abroad except for limited exceptions such as for work purposes”.
Johnson added that those living in other parts of England should “carefully consider whether they should travel abroad” and urged them to follow the rules in their tier.
The stricter measures have been brought in to curb the spread of a new variant of Covid-19, which may be up to 70% more transmissible.
Wales brought forward its lockdown period to Sunday 20 December, Scotland’s toughest level four restrictions will come into effect from 26 December while pressure intensifies on leaders in Northern Ireland to follow suit.
In response, Abta said: “More than nine months into this crisis, official statistics from the ONS already show that travel is the hardest hit service sector in the UK economy, worse than hospitality and other areas.
“The latest restrictions on UK travellers entering some foreign countries shows the ongoing uncertainty around travel and the extremely difficult operating environment for UK travel businesses.
"Not only do the latest developments affect people’s ability to travel but also consumer confidence to plan and book future holidays.
"The government must step in and provide tailored support for the travel sector – in recognition of the number of jobs at risk and the important role the UK travel industry will play in supporting the UK’s wider economic recovery.
“The Scottish government has recognised this already, and promised funding from January. Other parts of the UK must follow suit without delay. We are writing to the prime minister today to raise this as a matter of urgency."
