The World Travel and Tourism Council has warned the British government that the end of the furlough scheme means that are “just 30 days left to save travel businesses which are struggling to survive”
The furlough scheme stops on September 30, and the next Global Travel Taskforce review is on October 1.
WTTC warned that unless travel is opened up significantly by this date, many more people working in the sector could face losing their jobs.
It estimates that £59.4 billion could be lost from the UK’s economy if travel remains curtailed over the final quarter of 2021.
Julia Simpson, WTTC president and chief executive, said: “Vast economic wealth and even more jobs in travel and tourism could be lost in 30 days’ time, if significant travel doesn’t resume by the same time the furlough scheme ends.
“Companies are facing a desperate future unless the government supports the sector by introducing sensible controls that build traveller confidence while keeping the UK safe.
“We should allow all fully jabbed citizens and visitors to enter the UK with a negative Covid test. There should be no need for quarantine and excessive, expensive testing requirements.
“2021 is in danger of being no better than the last for the travel and tourism sector, despite the incredibly successful vaccine rollout.
“The next 30 days are critical to get travel back on track. That means abandoning the traffic lights system and reducing the current testing regime so that it is simpler and cheaper.”
WTTC’s annual 2021 Economic Impact Report said the collapse of the UK’s travel and tourism sector wiped out £148 billion from the UK economy last year – and 307,000 travel and tourism jobs were lost across the country.