UK Outbound Travel Group passes ‘significant’ lobbying milestone

The UK Outbound Travel Group has announced a significant milestone in its political engagement strategy, having arranged more than 80 MP visits across since the group’s establishment in 2023.

 

It said this achievement represents “one of the most successful” cross-industry parliamentary engagement programmes in the travel sector’s history. 

 

The lobbying group comprises industry bodies and consortia such as the Advantage Travel Partnership, the Association of Bonded Travel Organisers Trust (Abtot), Aito The Specialist Travel Association, InteleTravel, TMU Management and Attraction Tickets.

 

Together they represent more than 1,200 small and medium enterprises across the UK travel industry, along with more than 36,000 homeworkers.

 

The group sees its MP engagement programme as a “cornerstone” of its advocacy efforts, enabling individual businesses to forge connections with their local parliamentary representatives and creating a “robust” network of informed political allies who are now beginning to understand the sector’s contribution to local communities and the overall UK economy. 

 

More: UK outbound leisure travel market is ‘slowing but still growing’

 

Outbound lobby group hails progress with MPs

 

Samantha Bradbury, Abtot membership director, said: “We have been genuinely pleased by the exceptional take-up from Abtot members in requesting substantive meetings with their MPs.

 

“These face-to-face discussions have enabled our businesses to articulate both the opportunities and challenges they encounter in the inbound and outbound travel markets.

 

“As significant local employers, essential service providers and heavily regulated SME businesses operating in complex international markets, our members have compelling stories to tell, and MPs are clearly eager to listen.” 

 

Christina Brazier, head of industry affairs at Aito, added: “It’s been truly fantastic to witness such widespread and enthusiastic engagement from our members with their local MPs.

 

“These strategic meetings are proving invaluable on multiple fronts – not only in raising critical awareness of the multifaceted challenges faced by specialist travel businesses, but also in cultivating lasting professional relationships that strengthen our industry’s voice and influence in Westminster.

 

“The quality of dialogue and depth of understanding we’re achieving is remarkable.” 

 

Oliver Brendon, Attraction Tickets chief executive, continued: “It’s tremendously encouraging to see the group achieve this significant milestone and gain genuine momentum with the MP community across the country. 

 

“This represents a crucial step forward for our industry’s voice in Westminster and beyond. It’s essential that we maintain a multi-layered approach to political engagement.

 

“While travel agencies and tour operators at the coalface provide invaluable grassroots perspective and can effectively communicate the day-to-day challenges facing frontline businesses, the travel industry is also home to many business entrepreneurs who bring an equally vital dimension to these conversations supporting innovation and job creation.  

 

“The entrepreneurial perspective can articulate how regulatory changes affect business growth, international competitiveness and the sector’s ability to adapt to evolving market conditions.”

 

One of the latest MP visits was by Munira Wilson – the LibDem MP for Twickenham – who met the Sunvil team including chair Noel Josephides and managing director Chris Wright. 

 

She said: “Sunvil is a wonderful local business in Twickenham, but their contribution reaches far and wide.

 

“It was a pleasure to hear first-hand from Noel and Chris about how Sunvil and the sector as a whole contributes to the economy and discuss the challenges facing the industry.”

 

 The UK Outbound Travel Group said its achievement in securing more than 80 MP visits represents “more than a numerical milestone, it demonstrates the group’s commitment to proactive political engagement and its success in establishing travel businesses as credible, valuable stakeholders in the national political conversation”.