TTG has launched the #SaveTravel campaign in the hope of getting ministers to listen, and to take the sector’s concerns seriously to help protect hundreds of thousands of jobs.

In a letter to transport secretary Grant Shapps and chancellor Rishi Sunak, now signed by more than 2,000 people, TTG is calling for:

• Direct, sector-specific support for the UK travel industry – particularly SMEs like travel agents and tour operators, not just airlines;
• Consideration for a holiday on Air Passenger Duty until the end of summer 2021 to help with pricing and encourage bookings;
• A commitment to providing more advance notice of any changes to a destination’s quarantine status, or Foreign Office guidance.

The government, on 25 July, gave the sector – agents, operators and airlines alike – just six hours’ notice it was revoking Spain’s quarantine-free travel corridor. This is simply unacceptable.

Already, the campaign has been backed by Abta, the Association of British Travel Agents; Aito, the Association of Independent Tour Operators; and ITT, the Institute of Travel and Tourism.

We are also grateful to the thousands of travel industry leaders and professionals who have so far pledged their support to help spread the word, as well as consumers – the very people for whom the sector works so hard.

But TTG needs every single bit of support possible to ensure the campaign reaches the very highest echelons of government where it can effect change.

Below, you can read our full letter to Shapps and Sunak, and pledge your support. Please take a moment to read it and sign our #SaveTravel letter.

Click here to sign TTG’s #SaveTravel letter

• You can also download the letter here if you would like to share it.

Agent Toolkit

TTG has created a toolkit for agents to help spread the word about #SaveTravel. This includes a downloadable A4 window poster for shop windows, an editable press release template that can be sent out to local media, and a link to download TTG’s #SaveTravel letter to Shapps and Sunak.

It also includes download links to the #SaveTravel Twitter and Facebook headers, and a link help agents find their local MP’s contact details.

Click here to access TTG’s #SaveTravel agent toolkit

Other action you can take

There are plenty of other ways besides signing the letter you can take action to support #SaveTravel right now, whether you’re a travel industry professional or a consumer.

• Take the hashtag #SaveTravel to social media – Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and so on. Use it to tag anyone you believe would be interested, and make sure to reach out to your local MP too.
  
  
• Use social media to tell the world why you support #SaveTravel – this could, perhaps, take the form of a short video, image or post about one of your favourite holidays or holiday destinations, and why travel is important to you.
  
  
• Write to your local MP – you can use the parliament.uk website to find contact details for you local representative. Let them know why you believe the travel sector needs protecting. Or perhaps send them a copy of TTG’s #SaveTravel letter.
  
  
• Get in touch with your local independent travel agency in your town, city or village, maybe drop them an email in the first instance, and have a quick chat with them about the challenges they are facing, and anything you can do to help.
  
  
• Consider changing your Twitter or Facebook header image to the #SaveTravel graphic. You can download the Twitter header here and Facebook header here.