Abta chief joins TTG’s James Chapple for a full and frank look back at 2021, and assesses the association’s work to lobby for a better settlement and future for travel post-Covid
UK government action on Omicron, and that of the devolved administrations, likely to define whether travel enjoys strong turn-of-year sales, agents tell TTG
‘Travel needs to work together with government to make 2022 the year when the wholesale decimation of an incredible industry stopped,’ writes TTG CEO Daniel Pearce
Agent campaign group Target echoes warning from Abta that agents will be up against businesses from other sectors in their bids for new Additional Restrictions Grant cash
‘The UK travel industry is one of the world’s most successful and admired. To have its recovery threatened by government inaction and test firms cashing in is just plain wrong,’ writes Gary Noakes
Association urges agents in England to apply for a slice of the extra £102 million Additional Restrictions Grant cash announced by chancellor Rishi Sunak on Tuesday
Economy minister Gordon Lyons told to take ‘urgent action’ to support agents with their counterparts in the Republic of Ireland set to benefit from a new €10 million business support fund
’The chancellor’s statement once again ignores the direct impact of government policy decisions on businesses reliant on international travel,’ says Abta
Balpa says cash needed to tide sector over due to drop in demand owing to the emergence of the Omicron variant of Covid-19 and the government’s response to it
Heathrow boss John Holland-Kaye says temporary testing measures should be lifted immediately after the government emptied the red list with the Omicron variant becoming dominant
Health sec says that if, as is likely, Omicron becomes the dominant variant of Covid-19, ‘there will be less need to have any kind of travel restrictions at all’
On the Beach boss Simon Cooper tells TTG he doesn’t believe the government is likely to show any greater willingness to support travel given its scant support over the past 20 months
Health secretary promises update on new Omicron variant next week as MPs up the pressure on government over the effect of reintroduction of pre-departure testing on the travel industry
Back in the summer, industry leaders gathered outside Westminster for Travel Day of Action; spool forward five months, and Saturday might well go down in history as Travel Day of Rage
