Speaking at the Abta Travel Matters conference on Tuesday (6 December) in Westminster, Baroness Vere of Norbiton, minister for aviation, maritime and security, acknowledged “the thing I know about people in travel and transport is that they rarely agree.”
“But I’m always here for consultation,” she said. “And don’t just tell me what’s wrong with something. Tell me what you like about it too – think about the balance of what you’re saying. I’m always happy to meet people,” she added.
It came as Vere discussed the ongoing Atol consultation, which she said she was all too aware of as an issue, having been at the Department for Transport when Thomas Cook collapsed. “I actually came into the department at the time of Monarch’s failure”.
“We do want to look at consumer protection, such as Atol. This was an issue three years ago, before the pandemic. We do know we need to look at this,” she stressed. “Is it right to use tomorrow’s holiday payments to fund today’s capital? But what do we do about it?"
“We will have a second consultation because we know there’s no clear answer. We need to hear from you.”
Elsewhere Vere acknowledged the changes to the aviation sector post pandemic. “Three years ago the aviation sector wasn’t wholly focused on decarbonisation. My word, how things have changed. Now the interest is focused on decarbonisation and the feeling is that we must be focused on working with industry as we do it.”
She also referenced the government’s Aviation Council, which will sit for the first time in January, with Abta sitting on it.
“It’s been an incredibly difficult time but I see a sector more resilient than it was before,” Vere added.
Elsewhere Nikki da Costa, former director of legislative affairs at No 10 Downing Street gave an address, where she told delegates that 2023 would be an important year for strategy planning - both for travel businesses and associations as well as political parties as the country gears up for the next general election, expected to be held in 2024.
“Next year, not 2024, is the year to play for in shaping the thinking that sets out the next five years.”
