Abta has given the government a list of regulations it wants to see amended or scrapped to help its members’ businesses grow.
Its Red Tape Task Force has produced a report called Tourism’s Bureaucracy Challenge, which says current rules in areas such as the sale of travel insurance or foreign currency are hindering the industry.
In total eight recommendations have been made to the government by the Task Force which was chaired by Abta director and Barclays policy chief Christine Farnish. They are in response to the government’s Red Tape Challenge, which asked industry to tell it where rules are stifling business.
These recommendations also include streamlining the number of government departments the industry has to work with, focusing on the Department for Transport.
Abta chief executive Mark Tanzer said: “These recommendations are a timely reminder that freeing up the private sector can help encourage economic growth.”
Tourism Minister John Penrose said that “the clammy hand of bureaucracy and over-zealous regulation has been holding back business and enterprise” and welcomed Abta’s response, saying it will be studied with great interest.
Abta has also been asked to join part of the Tourism Regulation Task Force, which will be publishing its ideas on how to cut red tape towards the end of the year. This Taskforce was set up by the government.