‘We need a route out of this crisis,’ demands travel Coalition

The Save Future Travel Coalition is urging the Government for a ‘route out of this crisis’ as new quarantine measures come into force today at the start of the February half-term – normally one of the biggest weeks for winter holiday

While Save Our Summer campaign co-founder Paul Charles said the Government should open up travel by 1 May.

The Coalition is calling on the Prime Minister to use next week’s lockdown update on 22 February to provide a route forward for the travel industry.

It said many travel agents and tour operators haven’t been able to operate or generate income since the start of the pandemic last March, due to travel advisories to the majority of destinations, or in the case of school trips and ocean cruises, directives from the Government to cease all operations.

It says the economic output of travel agents and tour operators fell by 86% in December 2020 compared to February 2020, making it the ‘second worst-hit business sector’ during the pandemic, according to new gross domestic product (GDP) figures from the Office of National Statistics.

The situation ‘has worsened notably’ since then with international travel now illegal for most purposes, it said.

The Save Future Travel Coalition is made up of 12 travel trade organisations including ABTA, Advantage Travel Partnership, the Association of Independent Tour Operators (AITO), Cruise Lines International Association and UKinbound.

Mark Tanzer, ABTA Chief Executive said: "In a week’s time the Prime Minister is due to update the nation on a route out of lockdown. That must include a way forward for the travel industry to ensure that people are able to take an overseas holiday this summer.

"We completely understand the need for the Government to bring in temporary restrictions, like the additional measures around quarantine being brought in today, but we also need a route out of this crisis and some tailored financial support to help businesses get through what will be very difficult months ahead for the sector.

"Travel is vital for the economy. It has been a powerhouse of economic growth and employment. In normal times travel contributes £80 billion to the UK economy and supports close to one million jobs. It also underpins UK aviation and trading routes, with travel agents and tour operators putting the passengers on the planes."

Today is the first day of the February half term across most of the country, traditionally one of the busiest weeks for winter holidays. ABTA and Seasonal Businesses in Travel (SBiT) estimate that in a normal year around 500,000 people would be heading off to the slopes over the February half term period (which often falls across two different weeks).

The Coalition said half term represents around 15% of ABTA ski members’ total bookings for the winter season, with France, Austria, Switzerland and Italy usually among the most popular destinations along with North America for snow sports trips.

For companies providing ski and snow trips to schools, the same period would usually bring 40% of their annual revenues. This year, that revenue will be lost, the Coalition said.

Meanwhile a new campaign, called Save Our Summer, is calling on the Government to allow overseas holidays to start again on 1 May.

Save Our Summer is a new alliance of more than 120 UK travel companies. Members of the group have combined pre-Covid annual revenues of more than £11 billion and include Trail Trailfinders, easyJet Holidays, Travelopia and Regent Seven Seas Cruises.

Save Our Summer co-founder Paul Charles told Sky News: "We are saying 1 May because we believe by then the most vulnerable will have had two doses, they will be seeing infection rates and mortality rates fall across the country and of course it will be much warmer by then."