Abta is urging agents to invite their local MPs into their shops to tell them about the hardship they’ve faced over the past 15 months – and reiterate the value of having a quality, independent travel agent on the high street.
The association’s call comes as it seeks to encourage the trade to up the pressure on parliament ahead of a second debate on levels of government support for the travel industry during the pandemic, fixed for Thursday 10 April.
It has produced an updated range of resources for agents and operators to use to contact their local representatives, including a template email and infographic outlining the realities of Covid era trading. These resources are available from Abta’s Save Future Travel hub.
Abta chief Mark Tanzer, meanwhile, will appear before parliament’s Treasury committee on Monday (7 June). The association has created a short poll for members to gather additional information on their access to government support and the current challenges they face, building on evidence already supplied by the trade.
Luke Petherbridge, Abta’s director of public affairs, said: “It’s really important we encourage as many MPs as possible to attend the debate and speak up for the industry. There is strong support for the sector among parliamentarians, but we need to keep up the pressure on government to act to save the travel industry. MPs will play a really important role in helping to make our case about the value of the sector to government and the need to provide tailored assistance."
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