Abta unveils Save Travel campaign


Juliet Dennis and Lee Hayhurst


Agents have backed Abta’s Save Future Travel grassroots campaign but some warned it does not go far enough to force the government’s hand on key issues such as refunds. Save Future Travel calls on


anyone employed in the sector, and friends and family, to lobby their MP to ensure the government upholds its promise to do “whatever it takes” to protect jobs and businesses. Abta has already written to the


prime minister and been in talks with government departments to demand regulatory change and financial support to help firms survive the coronavirus crisis, but the government has yet to respond. Supporters can send a templated


email to their local MP highlighting the sector’s demands by visiting savefuturetravel.co.uk (pictured). Abta’s initiative came as the World


Tourism Organization called on the global travel community to work together to plan for the future in a #TravelTomorrow campaign. Frontline agents admit they have


grown frustrated by a perceived lack of lobbying on their behalf. Tailor Made Travel chief executive Simon Morgan said: “I’ve been pretty


frustrated about the lack of agent- focused lobbying to date; most has been around airlines and operators. It’s great to see Abta being proactive.” He called for more government


support for agencies, many of which have furloughed staff and are operating with reduced teams. Full Circle Travel managing director


Niall Douglas called Abta’s campaign a “good step”. He added: “It makes it easy to get information sent to your MP.” But Miles Morgan Travel owner


Miles Morgan feared the campaign may not succeed and urged Abta to give suppliers the green light to ‘say no’ to customer refunds until airlines pay up, to force the government to take a tougher stance with carriers. “Airlines are getting away without


refunding,” he said. “If all holiday companies did the


same, there would be a huge public outcry and it would gain the attention of government and the media.” Westoe Travel director Graeme


Brett said the campaign did not go far enough and called for more practical support, such as Abta-endorsed messages to use on social media. Abta chief executive Mark Tanzer


said the association had done all it could to make the devastating impact


of the crisis clear to government. i Miles Morgan: Comment, page 16


FCO advice ram Ian Taylor


The Foreign Office decision to extend advice against overseas travel “for an indefinite period” ratcheted up the pressure on agents and operators, opening the way to millions more refund demands. The change on April 4


came as the government continued to dither over suspending the Package Travel Regulations’ (PTRs) requirement to refund consumers within 14 days. The Department for Business


by allowing the issue of credit notes or vouchers in place of cash refunds. In a letter to member states,


Europe’s justice commissioner made clear the EC would support the issue of vouchers so long as consumers’ right to a refund under package travel rules are upheld and insolvency protection remains in place. An industry source


STORY TOP


described the justice commissioner’s guidance as “incredibly helpful”, saying:


“It ought to be enough.” By contrast, the source


(BEIS), which oversees the PTRs, has been pondering for weeks whether to allow businesses to defer refunds by issuing refund credit notes in the place of cash, as Abta has demanded. The failure to act flies in the face


of European Commission advice to governments to alleviate the pressure on tour organisers and travel agents


4 9 APRIL 2020


said: “The Foreign Office advice has added enormously to the pressure. Operationally it won’t make a lot of difference. What it makes a difference to is consumer confidence and consumer pressure [for refunds].” However, the source added: “No


one is saying flights won’t restart. “The government has said it’s


looking at how to relax restrictions. “Abta is encouraging people


travelweekly.co.uk


Foreign secretary Dominic Raab. The FCO’s latest travel advice is predicted to trigger a wave of refund demands


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