Travel needs a roadmap and support A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
The industry is on tenterhooks waiting for Boris Johnson’s announcement about the lifting of Covid restrictions next week. I’ve had countless calls with people finishing the conversation with:
“We’ll know more after February 22”. But will we? We still aren’t sure the resumption of travel will be mentioned in the roadmap out of lockdown. So it’s unsurprising lobbying by the sector is mounting, whether it be
the Travel Industry Alliance, the #SaveFutureTravel coalition or, most recently, the Save Our Summer campaign. While added pressure on government is welcome, it’s debatable how many campaigns we need. We now have one calling for travel to open on May 1 as another calls for sector-specific support because the industry is effectively shut down. They contradict each other, yet many
firms have signed up to both. This only serves to fragment our industry and, crucially, our voice. Messages should be combined: Give us a roadmap to travel opening and outline how you will support our industry until we can restart. Asking for the overseas travel ban to be lifted on a specific date seems futile. The government has to follow the science, so will never to commit to that. If ministers are saying travel is currently illegal, and warning against booking for the summer to boot, then the industry essentially remains locked down. If that is the government’s stance, it has to treat us differently – and support us financially.
WHAT LUCY DID THIS WEEK
OConfirmed more brilliant speakers for our Future of Travel Spring Forum, taking place on March 15, 17 and 19.
OFaced a quick-fire round of travel trivia questions on G Adventures’ new The Adventure Hour show on
Travel.Radio.
Lucy Huxley, editor-in-chief, Travel Weekly Group CONTENTS NEWS
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T ravel Weekly’s
Summer bookings ‘are all but on hold’ 4 Travel campaigns pressure government 4 ‘Don’t expect PM to set a restart date’ 5 Vaccine certificates; CMA refunds threat 6
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NEWS YOU CAN USE Product
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OVentured into London for the first time in months to take my mum for an essential hospital appointment at The Royal Marsden – it was so busy!
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DESTINATIONS escorted tours
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travelweeklyuk @travelweeklyuk 18 FEBRUARY 2021 3
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