Trade bodies aimed to hit the ground running in approaching the government as Parliament returned from the summer recess.
Abta reported it is working with government departments on communications to the industry and consumers on the EU Entry Exit System (EES) to be introduced in November and the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (Etias) due to follow in mid-2025.
The association is also working to reconstitute the all-party Parliamentary group (APPG) of MPs on aviation, travel and aerospace and consulting on a Budget submission.
Abta director of public affairs Luke Petherbridge said: “We’ve heard quite a bit from the government about its priorities, including the state of the public finances.
“A big focus for us with the Budget will be making the case for how travel can support the government’s growth agenda and what we need to do that – including youth mobility arrangements with EU countries, business rates reform and a competitive APD regime.”
He described Abta as “reaching out to MPs across all parties for meetings in Westminster, in constituencies and at the upcoming party conferences” and said Abta would support conference events put on by the Sustainable Aviation coalition as well as attend the business day at the Labour Party Conference.
Petherbridge insisted: “It’s important we work as an industry to put forward a collective voice. We met with our Future Travel Coalition partners post-election and will be catching up again later this month, and I’ll be getting together with colleagues from the aviation bodies next week.”
The UK Outbound Travel Group set up by The Advantage Travel Partnership, Aito and Abtot will host an industry-wide meeting in London on September 16 to discuss a set of policy initiatives.
Advantage chief executive Julia Lo Bue-Said said: “We expect about 30 executives to attend. The intention is to recruit new group members and to amplify the voice of the sector, to emphasise the industry brings economic and social prosperity. We’re not an exporter. We export people, but they spend here before going abroad.”
Lo Bue-Said added: “The new government gives us an opportunity. I don’t want to sit down with a minister or policymaker and them not understand how outbound travel contributes to UK economic growth.”