The association said with furlough ending in just a couple of weeks and the third and final strategic review of the UK’s international travel rules due on 1 October, it was vital to keep up the pressure on government to put the right framework in place to get people travelling, kick-start an industry-wide recovery and provide ongoing financial support.

Using the findings from its later member survey on the impact of the pandemic, Abta has written to chancellor Rishi Sunak and Shapps to highlight the "devastating impact" the UK’s travel rules have had on the travel industry’s ability to trade this summer.

It is calling for a "significant overhaul" of the traffic light regime "so businesses can trade their way out" of the Covid crisis, while also reiterating the need for tailored financial support to assist firms through winter.

At 2pm on Tuesday (14 September), Abta is asking members and other industry stakeholders to tweet the following messages, and to subsequently retweet industry colleagues to amplify the message and ensure it is shared more widely. Accompanying assets are available from abta.com/savefuturetravel.

• Another lost summer – @grantshapps now needs to deliver a plan to restart the #travelindustry – capitalising on the #covid19 vaccine rollout and removing widespread PCR tests. #savefuturetravel (Share this copy with ABTA’s Route to recovery social asset)
  
  
• The Government’s travel policy has cost us a summer of trade. @RishiSunak – we need tailored financial support to save jobs and businesses, and to boost the UK’s economic recovery #savefuturetravel #furloughends #Ukeconomy #traveltrade (Share this copy with ABTA’s Counting the Cost social asset)

Abta is also asking travel businesses to share these assets on their other social media profiles. Additionally, the association has created updated template letters to help firms quickly write to their local MP or representatives. These are also available from the Save Future Travel site.

Graeme Buck, Abta director of communications, said: “We must use our collective influence to get the government to use October’s strategic review to reopen more destinations and get more people travelling again.

“To help us exert pressure and hammer home the essential changes needed at the review, we’re calling on our members and all parts of the travel industry to join our Twitterstorm at 2pm today and write to their MPs this week about the challenges facing the industry. There are also new assets available to share on social media to spread the message even further.”