Sector-specific recovery grants for travel agents, tour operators and TMCs are among the demands of the Save Future Travel Coalition, in its latest letters to government.
The coalition of 15 travel associations has written letters to the chancellor, Foreign Office, and the chair of the House of Commons Transport Committee, Huw Merriman MP, on the need to support the travel industry throughout the recovery, following the publication of the Global Travel Taskforce report.
Writing to the chancellor, the coalition said the gradual reopening of travel means the need for financial support for the sector remains and calls on government to:
It also points out that HMRC should look to reduce the cost of testing for members of the public by exempting PCR tests from VAT.
In its letter to the FCDO, the group stressed the need for:
Following on from last week’s Transport Select Committee, where Abta’s chief executive Mark Tanzer gave evidence, the group has written to Merriman to emphasise their collective asks including more detail around how countries will be categorised in the traffic light system, the cost of testing and use of PCR tests for green countries, and the need for a four nations approach to reopening international travel.
Luke Petherbridge, director of public affairs at Abta, said: “It is really important we continue to put forward a consistent argument and approach to the UK government, and devolved nations, on the issues facing the sector and share our expert insight around the restart of international travel.
“There is still a number of unknowns around the government’s plans for the restart and a lot of detail missing. By engaging with ministers, departments, and a broader group of MPs, we can make sure that the voice of the organised travel sector is heard, and we are providing expert insight and constructive solutions about the restart of international travel.”