Calls intensify for industry support Juliet Dennis


Agents are ratcheting up calls for sector-specific support and more help for the self-employed as fears grow of a lack of government aid. Abta reported delays to grant


payments for agents via local authorities and issues “cropping up” in certain areas, despite an “improvement” in access to the support since travel agents were referenced in government guidance. The association’s director of


public affairs, Luke Petherbridge, vowed to continue lobbying government for tailored financial support for travel and an extension of existing business support measures


into the next financial year. Greenstar Travel owner Martyn


Fisher, who has just received £8,500 in lockdown grants after weeks of lobbying his local council, said the government “haven’t got a clue how agents work”, particularly how agents could not claim furlough because they had to work to cancel, refund and rebook holidays – and blamed this for the delay to support. Henbury Travel owner Richard


Slater wrote to his MP, David Rutley, saying there has been “very little evidence so far” of the government working with the industry. In reply, paymaster general Penny Mordaunt MP this week said: “We have put in place one of the most comprehensive


Sector’s closure ‘bolsters case for financial help’


Ian Taylor


Industry demands for financial support intensified after the government declared non-essential travel illegal and banned flights from ‘high-risk’ destinations. Abta chief executive Mark Tanzer


insisted: “Once you’ve closed down leisure travel, you can’t argue against support for the sector.” Jess Dennison, director of tour


operators Latin Routes and Polar Routes, told a Travlaw online event: “We’re being overlooked and ignored. There is support in place for all businesses, but sector-specific


4 4 FEBRUARY 2021


support hasn’t been there. We’ve had to refund all our business and then lose 12 months’ business on top – that is the difference between our sector and others. [But] I don’t feel this has been appreciated.” Dennison added: “We’re not


getting enough information from the government. It’s last-minute and mixed messaging a lot of the time.” Industry commentator Paul


Charles, chief executive of PR firm The PC Agency, insisted: “The government has a duty to support every sector. They have no right to insist people should not book a holiday.” But he told the Travlaw event:


Our hard-hit


franchisees have received no financial support and face very challenging months


and generous packages of business support in the world.” Deben Travel owner Lee Hunt


called for targeted financial support and more encouraging messages from government in place of the Foreign Office campaign which states ‘Going on holiday is currently illegal’. He said: “We are just getting by on the small sum left in our bank account.”


Abta chief Mark Tanzer


Travel Counsellors chief executive


Steve Byrne wrote a letter to small-business minister Paul Scully and aviation minister Robert Courts and provided a template version for the group’s home-based agents to send to their MPs. He said government “must act” to


boost consumer confidence in travel and highlighted how new businesses and limited companies were excluded from support for the self-employed. “Our hard-hit franchisees look to


January as a vital time in the travel calendar,” wrote Byrne, adding that agents had received “no financial support and continue to face very


challenging months ahead”. i Special Report, page 10


“I don’t think there is going to be sector-specific support. You have to be realistic.” Tanzer said he was not aware


of increased consumer pressure for refunds despite the extended restrictions. Speaking on a Travel Weekly webcast, he conceded: “There will be customers who have run out of patience, who have booked and rebooked three or four times and would rather just have the cash now.” But he said: “We’re not hearing


that from members. A lot of people still want to go on holiday and hope they’ll be able to do that this year or next. They’re happy to stick with


a refund credit note as long as it’s protected.” Aito laid out an eight-point


roadmap on Tuesday which it encouraged ministers to use as a template to help the industry recover, with financial support top of its list. Leaders of other travel sectors


demanded urgent support in light of the latest restrictions. Karen Dee, chief executive of the Airport Operators Association, accused the government of “laying blow after blow on the industry” and said: “It’s time it backed its tough stance on


borders with financial support.” i Travlaw Big Tent, pages 34-35


travelweekly.co.uk


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36