Chief executive Julia Lo Bue-Said, who proposed the forum in December, said the meeting will discuss how the industry can move forward on the new initiative to increase and improve the sector’s lobbying of the UK government.
"Our lack of profile, specifically as an outbound sector, with the UK government over the last two years of the pandemic has showed us that we need to work considerably harder in making our sector known and understood with MPs and government officials, in order to influence decision making in the future," Lo Bue-Said added.
She said the travel industry has "struggled" to get its "collective voice heard" during the pandemic and convey the "significant contribution" outbound travel has as an economic and social sector.
Alexis Coles Barrasso, former director of PR and communications at The Travel Network Group, has also been recruited as a consultant to support Advantage in scoping out its government-led strategy going forward.
Lo Bue-Said praised Coles Barrasso for her "extensive knowledge" of the travel industry, who has experience of working in government relations from her time as Thomas Cook’s PR and communications group director.
"She will be a huge help in driving this agenda forward for us," Lo Bue-Said continued.
Advantage has been seeking cross-industry support for the forum through speaking to members, trade associations, public affairs experts and other stakeholders and has confirmed that a "significant number" of organisations have added their names as interested parties.
"There is a considerable appetite for this activity to happen and we would welcome support and input from all areas of the industry," Lo Bue-Said said.
"We are now in the process of setting up a meeting at Westminster with a select group of interested parties to establish and agree the next steps."
