Derek Moore said: “Ministers in government seem to behave as if they are in the Wild West – gallop in, shoot people, leave carnage, don’t explain anything clearly and head straight on to the next ambush.
“It has to stop, for the sake of the UK travel industry and of all who work in travel. We all deserve so much better, quite frankly, especially after nearly 13 months with zero income.”
Moore was responding to speculation this week that the government is considering border closures as well as forcing UK arrivals to quarantine in hotels.
“Government needs to make it crystal clear that the new measures talked about – border closures and quarantine hotels – will be reviewed and that they are not set in stone,” he added.
“People planning on travelling from June onwards will now think, incorrectly, that they will be subject to these latest restrictions. But, by June, a huge proportion of the UK population will have been vaccinated. Why frighten people and put them off booking holidays totally unnecessarily?”
Aito is calling for the government to talk to industry bodies to better understand the sector and its needs, as well as setting up “affordable and co-ordinated” Covid testing to replace quarantine.
The association also wants the government to ensure bodies such as the CMA (Competition and Markets Authority) “stop crucifying the industry without good reason”.
“Another key question is why don’t ministers realise their role in destroying the formerly vibrant travel industry, to whom no sector-specific help has been given?” added Moore.
“Do they really want many thousands of people to lose their jobs and become reliant on state aid when they could so easily be kept in work, paying tax and delivering much-appreciated, financially-protected holidays?”
