Comment: Keep fighting to get the ear of politicians

Few in travel will have shed tears over Boris Johnson’s departure as an MP last week, with many still bitter about his government’s regular disregard for the industry during the pandemic.

Yet the political departure of the man leading the country as recently as last year, and the revolving doors in Westminster since, are a reminder of the challenge facing those attempting to gain meaningful traction with decision-makers.

As we reported in this week's edition, those tasked with the job are continuing to keep up the momentum while working on strategies to engage with future governments – whatever their political persuasion.

But with crisis also engulfing the SNP north of the border, there remains understandable concern that party politics could push our industry’s efforts to the sidelines in the run-up to the next general election.

As insiders have made clear in recent years, our sector needs to engage not only with politicians but also with the civil servants whose tenures tend to be significantly longer than those in the hot seats. If those officials can understand and appreciate the nuances, requirements and value of the industry, then it should be more straightforward to engage with the next government.

The topic of political engagement was at the fore at Abta’s Travel Matters conference this week, alongside the UK’s engagement with the EU after Brexit.

There is clearly still a long way to go to ensure the industry gets the acknowledgement it deserves, but efforts must be maintained to engage with all those in Whitehall and Westminster to ensure it doesn't fall down the list of priorities over the next 18 months.