The appointment of Huw Merriman as a transport minister should be the catalyst for overdue recognition of the value of outbound travel within government.
The elevation of the former Commons transport committee chair to an as yet undefined role at the Department for Transport draw plaudits from specialist travel association Aito.
The DfT is expected to confirm the portfolio the MP for Bexhill and Battle will take on by the end of the week following his move as part of new prime minister Rishi Sunak’s latest government reshuffle.
The aviation brief is currently held by Baroness Vere alongside a number of other responsibilities.
Aito chairman Chris Rowles described DfT position as the “perfect role” for Merriman, adding: “He simply ‘gets’ travel, particularly SMEs and the huge challenges we’ve faced over the past several years.”
Aito executive director Martyn Sumners added:“We are confident that the minister will bring his experience, understanding and support of our sector to the task of educating and influencing other ministerial colleagues under whose remit our industry falls, and is impacted by, i.e. BEIS, the FCDO, the CAA within the DfT, and DCMS.
“Huw Merriman’s well-deserved appointment to the role may well start to see recognition of the value of outbound travel within government.
“The outbound travel industry plays a key role in support of UK PLC by (a) creating inbound transport routes that bring huge numbers of visitors of many different nationalities to enjoy the UK’s superb tourist attractions, great shopping opportunities and brilliant hospitality industry, plus (b) in delivering £37 billion of retail spendbefore UK travellers depart on their overseas holidays.
“We need government recognition of these key facts, and a helping hand to ensure that we continue to deliver such huge benefits to the UK economy.”
Rowles said of Merriman: “He’s taken the time to attend Aito meetings and has seen members of Aito, both specialist travel agents and specialist tour operators, near despair at their struggle to keep their businesses going and their staff employed after decades of hard work.
“He understands their collective total dedication to customer service, and their frustration at rules and regulations created by people in government who simply don’t understand the passion and hard work that people in travel SMEs invest in their businesses – or how ill thought-through rules and regulations can, for no good reason, affect such businesses adversely.
“Travel – SMEs in particular – needs real know-how and understanding from those in power; we are the seed-bed for the businesses of the future.
“We need poor legislation to be addressed by people who comprehend and care about the consequences of laws created by those outside the industry itself.
“The law should, of course, protect the British public from companies which operate outside the law, but it should not do huge damage and disservice to decent, honest and law-abiding travel companies.”
He urged those in key ministerial positions to meet with the organisation and other industry bodies “to ensure that they understand how the industry works.
“Poor drafting of rules and regulations is often down to a simple lack of comprehension in this respect – it’s certainly not done on purpose.”