'Holiday To Help Out matters now more than ever'

As the country reeled from Boris Johnson’s decision to place England back into lockdown from Thursday, the travel industry expressed frustration – and anger – at once again being left out in the cold, with zero travel industry consultation or warning the government was going to ban all international travel.

While easyJet Holidays boss Garry Wilson labelled it “disappointing”, and Airlines UK chief Tim Alderslade described it as “a 180-degree reversal of policy, since the government added the Canaries to the travel corridors list just last week”, Advantage chief executive Julia Lo Bue Said went even further: “Travel agents fall into leisure, hospitality, tourism, travel and aviation – that means they fall into the abyss when it comes to recognition for the financial crisis they are in,” she pointed out.

And all this, on the week that Holiday To Help Out begins.

For anyone not familiar with the campaign, its aim is simple: to kick-start the market and drive customers through agents’ doors.

This industry has consistently been let down by the powers that be in Westminster – Holiday To Help Out is a chance for the sector to take matters into its own hands.

If this campaign was important before, it is critical now. At a time when ministers continue to ignore and/or fail to understand the unique financial position of agents and why they need additional support as they now grapple once again with refunds and business closures, the industry’s support for one another remains more vital than ever.