Members of Target (Travel Agents Reform Group Engaged Together) want a “real travel agent” as their number-one preferred speaker during the day of action on 23 June.
The second most popular choice was former prime minister Theresa May, who last week condemned the government’s current system for international travel as “chaotic”.
She was followed by leading trade figures including Daniele Broccoli from Typically Holidays, Advantage Travel Partnership’s chief executive Julia Lo Bue-Said, Gary Lewis from The Travel Network Group (TTNG) and Steve Heapy, chief executive of Jet2.com and Jet2holidays.
Target co-founder Jill Waite is also on the top 10 list of potential speakers, alongside Conservative MP Huw Merriman, chair of the influential Select Transport Committee.
Graeme Brett, co-founder of Target, said: “We polled members as to who they wanted to hear speak and who would best represent the views of our industry.
“We have written to the organisers asking them to try to arrange for as many of these names as possible to speak.
“Travel agents have told us that these are the people they want to hear speak and these are the people that they think can best represent their views, and have a passion for our industry.”
The day of action lobbying effort will include protest events in London, Edinburgh and Belfast on 23 June.
Abta said trade bodies from across the aviation and travel sectors will come together to put pressure on the government to support a safe return to international travel in time for the summer peak season, as well as demanding a package of sector-specific financial measures.
Target is also planning a Twitterstorm to coincide with a TV interview this evening involving chancellor Rishi Sunak calling for urgent support.
