In a letter to Burnham and his newly appointed cabinet, the cross-industry group welcomed the new government while highlighting the scale of the UK's travel and tourism sector and its potential to support economic growth, employment and inward investment.

Signed by organisations including Abta, Aito, Clia, the Institute of Travel and Tourism (ITT), the Scottish Passenger Agents' Association, and The Travel Network Group, the letter highlighted how the UK's tourism industry generates more than £165 billion in gross value added each year, accounting for 6.7% of the economy, supporting more than three million jobs and contributing more than £36.6 billion in tax revenues.

However, the coalition warned that rising taxes, increasing employment costs and growing regulatory burdens are placing significant pressure on travel businesses. 

It added that the industry cannot absorb these costs indefinitely without affecting demand, investment and jobs, before arguing that consumers are continuing to feel the impact of the rising cost of living, with taxes and levies such as Air Passenger Duty and local tourism taxes making the UK less competitive.

The FTC continued by welcoming recent government moves to improve UK-EU relations, but said further progress is needed, particularly around youth mobility and tackling operational barriers affecting the sector.

Looking ahead to the government's planned Tourism Growth Plan, the coalition said it was keen to work with ministers and officials in the coming weeks. 

It welcomed the ambition to attract more than 50 million international visitors to the UK annually by 2030, adding that travel and tourism businesses across the country would play a critical role in delivering the strategy, including helping to address skills and workforce challenges.