Outbound Travel Group bolsters position with two new members

Travcorp Holdings group chief executive Andy Freeth is one of two new members of lobbying organisation UK Outbound Travel Group.

Sudheer Sharma, chief executive and trustee of PT Trustees, has also joined at the group’s highest ‘champion’ tier of membership costing £10,000 a year.

Their involvement comes ahead of an inaugural Westminster event taking place this month, due to be attended by tourism minister Stephanie Peacock, as the group aims to embed itself “firmly on the political agenda”.

A dedicated social media specialist has also been recruited to amplify its voice and build wider awareness of the industry’s economic and social significance.

This complements an ongoing continued MP engagement initiative, which has seen more than 100 MPs visit businesses within the group’s membership network.

Advantage Travel Partnership chief executive Julia Lo Bue-Said, spokesperson for the UK Outbound Travel Group, said: "We are delighted to welcome Travcorp Holdings and PT Trustees Limited to the group. 

“These are two highly respected and influential industry leaders and their decision to join at champion level speaks volumes about the direction and ambition of the group.

“Having names of this calibre around the table significantly raises our profile and reinforces the credibility of everything we are working to achieve. The more prominent the voices within our membership, the stronger and more authoritative our representation becomes both in Westminster and across the wider industry.”

She added: “In an increasingly volatile geopolitical landscape, co-ordinated strategic amplification of the sector, is no longer a luxury, it is a fundamental necessity.

“Crises do not announce themselves, and the UK outbound travel industry cannot afford to be caught without a unified voice when they arrive. That is precisely why the UK Outbound Travel Group exists."

Freeth said: “The UK outbound travel sector plays a vital role in the UK economy, yet it has often lacked a clear, unified voice at the moments that matter most.

“This is an important time for the industry, particularly as we look to drive sensible reform of the Package Travel Regulations, ensuring they better support both businesses and customers in times of crisis, while also ensuring our industry is better represented, better understood, and better prepared to navigate an increasingly unpredictable global environment.”

Sharma noted: “I look forward to working with the UK Outbound Travel Group team to support its objectives, whilst collaborating to help develop and improve consumer protection regulations and processes.”