The great UK agency lobby, ABTA, is increasing pressure on the UK government. In a letter sent to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, he once again stressed the urgent need for the implementation of financial aid, also demanding a roadmap that contributes to the recovery of the entire sector. It also encourages members to write to their parliamentarians to make them even more aware of the “difficult situation” that tourism businesses are going through (Boris Johnson ignores pressure from tourism leaders).
Its main demands are the expansion of existing subsidy schemes, with specific aid that allows business survival; the expansion of financial support mechanisms, such as VAT deferrals, commercial fee relief and reduction in the cost of licenses, to avoid “the looming financial gap that many companies face”; and the creation of a plan to build trust among travelers.
In the words of ABTA’s director of public affairs, Luke Petherbridge, “This week marks one year since the start of travel restrictions, which began in Wuhan (China) and rapidly spread to all destinations in the world from March ”. “Travel was the first industry to be affected by this pandemic and the data shows that agencies and tour operators are the companies most affected. However, unlike other sectors, such as the hospitality industry, there has not been any personalized financial support for the sector ”, he complains.
Petherbridge emphasizes that “while the launch of the vaccine is positive, the industry cannot wait for the entire adult population of the United Kingdom to be vaccinated before restarting the trip and companies cannot afford to lose another summer”. Therefore, “ABTA will continue to pressure the Government to obtain a roadmap to overcome the crisis, and I urge members to do the same by contacting their local parliamentarian,” he concludes.
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