January should be the busiest time of year for travel’s SMEs, which include thousands of travel agents and tour operators. They should be making headlines for setting new sales records.
Instead, news bulletins are dominated by government ministers urging Brits to think carefully about whether to book their summer holidays – or simply not book at all.
The travel industry is hugely supportive of measures to stop the spread of coronavirus, and fully accepts drastic action must be taken to protect lives.
But 11 months into this crisis, the industry is effectively still closed down, with zero dedicated financial support. In excess of 164,000 jobs are at risk – likely many more.
Today, the #SaveTravel manifesto, led by TTG Media, is urging government to publish a roadmap out of this crisis, calling specifically on ministers to:
- Give more regular updates to the industry – the sector is too often left in the dark about decisions such as airport testing or hotel quarantine. It needs firmer guidance and more regular updates so businesses are able to plan accordingly;
- Re-establish a travel taskforce, this time with representation from industry bodies. We are also calling for greater collaboration across the government departments, including the Home Office and the Treasury, as well as the Department for Transport; and
- Commit to dedicated financial support for the travel industry, including an extended furlough scheme tailored for travel, if it is unable to restart. The government has effectively shut an entire sector down, with zero dedicated financial help. Thousands of jobs are going to be lost without it. This isn’t a prediction, it’s a fact.
We are calling on everyone in travel, everyone with an interest in or passion for travel, everyone with a stake in travel, to support this urgent call by clicking the link below and signing our petition.
Click here to sign the petition
(Note: TTG originally intended to launch this petition using parliament’s official petitions portal. However, we were informed that due to Covid it may take several weeks for the petition to be approved – we wanted to push for urgent government support now, not in a few weeks’ time).
TTG has written to prime minister Boris Johnson, transport secretary Grant Shapps, chancellor Rishi Sunak, home secretary Priti Patel, and their cabinet colleagues, calling on them to engage the travel industry in its entirety as a matter of urgency. You can read the full letter below.
Sophie Griffiths, editor of TTG, said: "The UK travel industry has been devastated by this crisis, with thousands of pounds in refunds given out last year and next to no money coming in for more than 11 months.
"At the same time, many travel firms were initially unable to fully utilise the government furlough scheme as staff were needed to process these refunds.
"Almost a year into the pandemic and the industry remains at a standstill. The government’s hotel quarantine announcement today could be the final death knell for many businesses.
"TTG is calling on the government to urgently recognise the plight of the travel sector and to provide urgent sector specific financial support, an extension of the furlough scheme and a roadmap out of this crisis.
"Other governments around the world have provided dedicated support for their travel industries. It is high time the UK government did the same."
Click or tap on the letter below to read the full letter addressed to Boris Johnson, Grant Shapps, Rishi Sunak, Priti Patel, and the rest of the cabinet.
