Addressing guests at the event at the House of Commons on Tuesday evening (16 June), which included a handful of MPs, UK Outbound Chair Julia Lo Bue-Said explained the Package Travel Regulation were "too often failing to protect tour operators", who are forced to absorb costs they should't have to.
"Tour operators are repeatedly left having to refund thousands of pounds in costs that should be met by insurers, not small businesses," said Lo Bue-Said, who is also Chief Executive of the Advantage Travel Partnership. "Put simply, tour operators should not be the 'insurer of last resort'."
The reception, hosted by Bambos Charalambous MP, brought together representatives from across the political spectrum, as well as from UK Outbound's key backers Advantage, Aito and Abtot, and the wider travel industry to highlight the economic contribution made by the UK's outbound travel industry.
Lo Bue-Said used the event to underline the scale of the sector, which she said contributes approximately £84 billion annually to the UK economy. She also argued outbound travel remains "frequently overlooked" by policymakers despite the industry's national footprint, with more than 1,300 independent travel businesses represented across more than 400 parliamentary constituencies.
Calling for greater recognition of outbound travel, Lo Bue-Said insisted policymakers should view it as distinct from aviation and the wider visitor economy, with its own economic contribution and policy requirements.
The speech also highlighted the continuing challenges facing travel businesses following the "devastating" pandemic. Lo Bue-Said said recovery had been "hard-won, but incomplete", citing rising operating costs, recruitment pressures and ongoing geopolitical disruption.
She continued by urging ministers to consider reform of "inflexible" school term dates to help spread travel demand more evenly throughout the year. The proposal would redistribute existing holiday periods rather than reduce classroom time, with the aim of easing peak-season price pressures on families.
Lo Bue-Said also defended the role of the travel trade against online booking platforms and artificial intelligence tools. "The value of trusted professional advice has never been clearer," she said. "When things go wrong, it is our members who step in – offering financial protection, repatriation services and the kind of peace of mind no algorithm can replicate."
The event was attended by tourism minister Stephanie Peacock MP, Chair of the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee Caroline Dinenage MP, and several other MPs and peers, with Lo Bue-Said describing the cross-party attendance as "genuinely encouraging".
The UK Outbound Travel Group was established following the pandemic and represents more than 700 independent travel agents, around 600 independent and specialist tour operators and approximately 36,000 homeworkers.
Lo Bue-Said recently spoke out about the industry's "mixed messaging" around travel to the Middle East, which she said has left consumers confused and travel organisers unfairly shouldering "financial liabilities and legal responsibility".
