A panel of MPs recently concluded the government "blew" £486 million on the regime, without the appropriate mechanism to establish whether it actually helped prevent the import of new cases and variants of Covid-19.
"For my members – and for travel agents across the country – it has long been clear that these draconian measures were not worth the disruption caused, nor were they worth the irreversible damage wreaked upon the livelihoods of travel agents," Julia Lo Bue-Said said.
Figures from the association’s recent Business Impact Survey found 60% of its members still have an outstanding government loan to pay from the pandemic, with more than 90% reporting their operating costs have increased by up to 50% in the past six months.
Around 92% of respondents think the outbound travel sector needs greater support from across the political spectrum.
Lo Bue-Said said throughout the pandemic, Advantage "tirelessly" lobbied the government for further industry support given the two-year "unnecessary travel turmoil", and that need has not gone away with the end of the restrictions.
"The effects are still being felt by thousands of small businesses across the UK and will continue to be felt for many more years to come," she continued.
"That is why it’s our mission to keep on raising the profile for our industry and demonstrating the significant economic and social value of the entire travel ecosystem including travel agents, not only to their local communities but also to the whole of the UK."
