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Government moves to cut red tape
ABTA has welcomed a report that it says backs its call for the ditching of unnecessary red tape for UK travel businesses.
The Association said the Tourism Regulation Taskforce’s report "Smart Regulation and Economic Growth", released yesterday, endorsed all the proposals to reduce unnecessary bureaucracy put forward by ABTA’s Red Tape Taskforce set up last year.
ABTA proposed a number of key areas for action, including the removal of travel insurance sales from FSA regulation and the adoption of a sensible approach to the implementation of money laundering laws impacting on its members selling foreign currency.
Today’s report, which has been put forward to tourism minister John Penrose, has endorsed these recommendations, it said.
ABTA chief Mark Tanzer said: "We strongly support the tourism minister’s drive to cut red tape in tourism. We call on him now to accept these sensible recommendations and ensure that the Government takes concrete steps to stamp out these unnecessary and bureaucratic rules.
"All of our Red Tape Taskforce proposals will make a very real difference to our members businesses but in particular, the removal of travel insurance sales from FSA regulation, would improve customer choice and ensure that more consumers travel insured."
Christine Farnish, ABTA’s Red Tape Taskforce chair, said: "In commissioning this report the tourism minister has indicated he is committed to helping the travel and tourism sector develop and grow.
"Accepting these recommendations to scrap restrictive and unnecessary red tape will bring some very real benefits to UK businesses and provide the clearest possible indication that he is listening to our concerns and is willing and prepared to take positive action to address them."
Is your business tangled in red tape? What would you like the Government to cut? Have your say by clicking the comment button below.
By Linsey McNeill
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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