ABTA’s chief executive Mark
Tanzer has called for greater transparency in the financial flows in the travel
industry.
Speaking at today’s
Travel Matters event, Tanzer said, “The pandemic has made us all deeply aware
of how extended the travel supply chain is, and how mutually dependent we all
are. The initial instinct to protect our own interests – even at the expense of
our partners – has been destructive financially, and destructive of consumer
confidence, on which we all depend. We need a transparent system where each
player recognises and fulfils his or her obligations, and has in place the
level of insurance or other cover appropriate to the risk being borne.”
Tanzer said that the industry was experiencing its “darkest hour
in recent travel history”.
“You don’t need me to
tell you of the carnage wrought by the pandemic, and the devastating impact it
continues to have on travel businesses and travel lives. We see this up front
and close with long-established members failing or choosing to shut up shop,
and heart-breaking stories of personal loss. They say the darkest hour is right
before the dawn. This dawn has been a long time coming, and we desperately need
to see day breaking soon,” he said.
One of the key speeches at the event was due to be delivered by
aviation minister Robert Courts but he pulled out due to “a late diary clash”; his
place was taken instead by Huw Merriman MP, chair of the select committee on transport.
In his speech Merriman said that the reopening of international travel could be delayed because of the extension of domestic restrictions.
"My concern now with the extra month of domestic restrictions is this will now cause a log jam when it comes to international restrictions. It will be difficult for the government to allow international at the next review if domestic restrictions are still here," he said.
Merriman also made comments about the idea that the doubly vaccinated might be allowed to travel.
Tanzer said he had hoped
to quiz Courts on the government’s apparent focus on domestic travel.
The Government’s recently published Tourism
Recovery Plan states, “...various restrictions on overseas travel remain in
place even now. The UK government wants to embrace this opportunity by boosting
domestic demand, making domestic stays attractive and marketing the UK’s assets”.
Tanzer said, “I would
have liked to ask him how, as a Member of Her Majesty’s Government, he
justifies a position such as this, and, indeed, how he views the outbound
sector more generally. His absence today – necessary as I’m sure it is – is
nonetheless symbolic of a wide – in fact widening – gap between Government and
the outbound travel sector.”
An extension of Government
“life-support mechanisms” for the sector is imperative, said
Tanzer.
“The Chancellor seems bent on
phasing out of furlough payments and business rates relief, but surely he must
recognise that the travel sector has not yet even started its recovery
trajectory. The investment he has already made – limited though it is – will be
entirely wasted if these companies fail now.”