As the end of furlough rolls closer, ABTA is keeping the pressure on the government to push the “right framework” in place to help kickstart recovery for the travel industry and to provide financial support to those who need it most. A review of the international travel requirements is set to go ahead by the 1st October which has encouraged ABTA’s push of pressure to ensure those within the industry are financially supported for this review and prepared for the verdict.
Using the company’s latest member survey, a letter has been written to the chancellor and transport secretary, highlighting the devastating impact the UK’s travel requirements have had on the industry’s ability to trade this summer. The Association is calling for a significant overhaul of the traffic light system so travel businesses can trade their way out of this crisis, and also emphasising the ongoing need for tailored financial support.
ABTA is also encouraging members and the wider industry to get involved in the week long lobbying to help drive home the essential change needed to save jobs and businesses within the industry.
A ‘twitterstorm’ will be taking place at 2pm today (Tuesday 14th September), organised by ABTA, to highlight their concerns to the wider community and they have asked for the backing of the travel industry through sharing these tweets:
- Another lost summer – @grantshapps now needs to deliver a plan to restart the #travelindustry – capitalising on the #covid19 vaccine rollout and removing widespread PCR tests. #savefuturetravel (Share this copy with ABTA’s Route to recovery social asset)
- The Government’s travel policy has cost us a summer of trade. @RishiSunak – we need tailored financial support to save jobs and businesses, and to boost the UK’s economic recovery #savefuturetravel #furloughends #Ukeconomy #traveltrade (Share this copy with ABTA’s Counting the Cost social asset)
Digital assets have also been designed by the association to share to other forms of social media which they hope that travel businesses will share right across the board. The template letters and designed assets are all available to download from Tuesday 14th September at www.abta.com/savefuturetravel.
Writing to local MPs has been described as ‘one of the most important ways’ of getting involved in the ABTA’s lobbying to which they have also produced templates for the travel industry to follow.
Graeme Buck, Director of Communications at ABTA – The Travel Association said:
“We must use our collective influence to get the Government to use October’s strategic review to reopen more destinations and get more people travelling again.
“To help us exert pressure and hammer home the essential changes needed at the review, we’re calling on our Members and all parts of the travel industry to join our Twitterstorm at 2pm today and write to their MPs this week about the challenges facing the industry. There are also new assets available to share on social media to spread the message even further.”
