Travel industry calls for government support

In a week that saw Hays Travel cut jobs, a letter signed by various bodies of the travel industry has called on the government to provide support for the sector.

As part of TTG Media’s #SaveTravel campaign, the letter explains the impact of the coronavirus crisis on the industry and details why urgent sector specific financial support is needed. It uses the fall of Shearings as an example of how household names in the sector are already collapsing. It details the unique challenges facing travel, explaining that barely any money has entered the sector since the pandemic began, but that huge sums have been paid out due to the numbers of refund claims.

The #SaveTravel campaign calls for direct sector specific support for the UK travel industry and companies operating within it, such as SMEs as tour operators and travel agents. It suggests this might inlude an extension to the furlough scheme. Without this, TTG Media believe the industry could see thousands more job losses.

The letter was signed by travel and transport union, TSSA. Manuel Cortes, TSSA General Secretary, said: “Our travel trade is in dire straights given the concentrated impact of coronavirus on the ability to travel. An already difficult situation has been made worse by the government’s confused messaging and last-minute changes to quarantine instructions.

“We completely support the demands in this TTG Save Travel campaign. Our travel industry clearly needs a bespoke support package which reflects the situation that agents have been put in. There are plenty of practical and achievable options for government to save tens of thousands of jobs.

“An entire industry is on the brink here and without government action our travel trade could be wiped out.”