The World Travel & Tourism Council asked business leaders from major airlines, airports, hotels, tour operators and other travel companies to sign a letter to the prime minister and nine other Heads of State of the G7 group of countries, as well as Australia, South Korea and Spain, the world’s major source markets.
The letter was also sent to Labour leader Keir Starmer and other international opposition leaders.
WTTC, which represents the global travel and tourism private sector, said it was “gravely concerned” there was no internationally coordinated effort to protect the sector.
According to WTTC’s 2020 Economic Impact Report, during 2019, the industry was responsible for one in 10 jobs or 330 million globally.
Among those backing the WTTC call were British Airways, Jet2, Virgin Atlantic, Tui and Abercrombie & Kent.
The WTTC also wants mask wearing to be mandatory “on all modes of transport”, quicker contact testing and tracing and quarantine only for positive tests.
Gloria Guevara, WTTC president and chief executive, said: “As the travel and tourism sector buckles under mounting pressure, and the global economy struggles to survive, we have to ask – who is in charge of getting us out of this crisis and will lead the world to save the jobs and secure the futures of the many millions of people globally?”
“The voices of ordinary people must be heard, and we are calling on them to let world leaders know, in no uncertain terms, that the time for action is now.”
