June 23 - Trade bodies from across the aviation and travel industries are coming together for a Travel Day of Action (#traveldayofaction) on 23 June to put pressure on the UK Government to support a safe return to international travel in time for the peak summer period.

 

The day of action will be calling on the UK Government to:

• Allow international travel to return safely and in a risk managed way by properly implementing the Global Travel Taskforce’s plan for a traffic-light system, by expanding the Green list in line with the evidence and making restrictions more proportionate, whilst keeping a strong red list to guard against variants • Bring forward a package of tailored financial support, including extension of furlough support, recognizing that the travel sector’s ability to trade and generate income is much slower than first anticipated and more gradual than for businesses in the domestic economy

 

The day of action is timed to take place ahead of when the Government is expected to discuss and decide on the next steps for international travel, which is due to take effect on 28 June.

 

How you can get involved

All parts of the travel industry – every airline, airport, tour operator, travel agent, supplier and partner – are encouraged to get involved and support the activities of the day.

There are a range of activities to take part in the Travel Day of Action including meeting with your MP as part of an organized lobby in Westminster, Edinburgh or Belfast, or locally in your store or business premises, or holding a virtual meeting. You can also get involved in online and social media activity.

 

Ensuring activities are COVID-19 compliant

The travel industry has put a lot of work in to ensure that the highest level of health and safety protocols are adopted for international travel, to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and help people feel safe and reassured to travel. It’s really important that we take the same approach to the events and activities around the Travel Day of Action.

Guidance will be provided to those who are attending the events in London, Edinburgh and Belfast. People should also follow any local restrictions – for example, any measures in place in your local are preventing travel outside of the region.

 

Get involved in social media

Sharing posts on social media is a simple and effective way of getting involved in the Day of Action. Find the social media pack here.

ABTA will be encouraging people to:

• Take part in a Twitterstorm at 2pm on 23 June
• Tag your MP or devolved representative into social posts
• Share the template posts and graphics across your social media channels

More details on social media activity and template materials will be available later this week.

 

Events in London, Edinburgh and Belfast

There are currently events planned for London, Edinburgh and Belfast. Events in other location are also being explored by other organizations.

 

London

There is an organized lobby in Westminster, London, which starts at 12.30pm. The number of people who can be at the event at any one time is 400. There are two time slots to ensure maximum attendance across the industry, if you wish to attend the event in Westminster you need to register. This is to ensure that we meet the COVID-19 requirements and risk assessment.

You need to register to attend the event via your trade association. ABTA Members have been emailed a link to register.

If you are attending the event in London, please invite your MP for a meeting on College Green. You can do this by using the template email below. If they accept your invitation, please inform ABTA by email so ABTA can coordinate MP attendance.

 

Edinburgh

The Scottish Passenger Agents Association is organizing the event in Holyrood, Edinburgh. Please contact the SPAA directly for more details.

 

Belfast

The Association of Northern Ireland Travel Agents is organizing an event in Belfast. Please contact ANITA directly for more details.

 

Cardiff

There is a virtual lobby being held in Cardiff, using the template email below. This is being coordinated by ABTA CoR rep, Helen Tustin, who can be contacted directly.

 

Write to your MP

Even if you aren’t able to attend an event or organize a meeting with your MP, it is important they are all aware of the challenges facing the sector and the need to speak up for travel. You can use the below email templates to write to your MP.

Letter for MPs - London Lobby
Letter for MPs - universal letter template
Letter for MSs - Welsh lobby

 

 

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