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Travel Day of Action media coverage ‘reaches 12m people’

The unprecedented national Travel Day of Action lobby reached more than 12 million people via traditional and social media.

The travel trade gatherings at Westminster, Holyrood in Edinburgh, Stormont in Belfast and a virtual lobby in Wales last week generated more than 1,300 media mentions, according to Aito.

More than 13,000 mentions on Twitter reached over 12 million people.

“There was great engagement from the 50 MPs attending to here what we need – financial support for a safe return of international travel,” the independent travel association tweeted.


More: Special report: Agents share their personal stories at Travel Day of Action

Travel Day of Action lobbyists report ‘change in sentiment’

Travel Day of Action organisers hail ‘great turnout’


Aito head of commercial Bharat Gadhoke said: “The face-to-face meetings with MPs on the Travel Day of Action helped them to understand how we are affected – that we are unable to realise income for many months, which is why we need financial support. We also urged them to understand that the travel sector is unique, and it cannot be mixed in and confused with hospitality. We wouldn’t have needed financial support if we had been allowed to trade as other sectors have!

“We hope this will lead to them raising our [financial] plight, not only in the House, but directly to Cabinet, especially to the Chancellor.

“Huw Merriman, chairman of the transport select committee, seems to be one MP that gets it.

“The opening of travel has to go beyond looking at summer holidays to Europe.”

Julia Lo Bue-Said, chief executive of Advantage Travel Partnership, one of the main organisers of the four nations event, previously described the day at Westminster – where hundreds turned out at College Green – as “absolutely brilliant”.

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