The Advantage Travel Partnership has convened a travel agent taskforce to contribute to the recommendations requested from the consortium by the government’s Global Travel Taskforce.
The Department for Transport-led taskforce, chaired by Grant Shapps, is due to announce details of how international travel can resume on April 12, with the earliest possible restart date May 17.
Although yesterday, prime minister Boris Johnson hinted that details about how travel might resume could be given as soon as April 5.
The Advantage Travel Taskforce comprises fifteen travel agencies across the UK, representing a cross-section of the consortium’s membership – both leisure and business agents.
Advantage said it was invited to join the working group on consumer confidence by the Global Travel Taskforce to specifically represent the concerns and requirements of the travel agent community in building a sustainable roadmap for the recovery of international travel this year.
A six-page submission has been sent to the Global Travel Taskforce today. It includes an overview of the value a travel agent provides to the consumer for the end-to-end travel journey, and highlights the specific added value of using a human professional intermediary in times of such uncertainty.
The paper recommends tactics to build consumer confidence moving out of the pandemic including clarity and transparency on criteria placed on destinations aligned to Foreign Office (FCDO) advice, and a risk-based approach on continued restrictions taking vaccination rollouts into account.
Reliable and affordable testing, greater international collaboration, digital vaccination certification, increased alignment between the devolved nations, and improved cooperation with the travel insurance sector are also detailed as key elements to be addressed in the taskforce’s April 12 report.
Julia Lo Bue-Said, chief executive of the Advantage Travel Partnership, said: “In order to provide government with a comprehensive set of recommendations we felt it was critical to ensure our members had the opportunity to directly contribute to our submission.
“Our own taskforce was convened within days of being asked to contribute to the recovery plan and our submission is fully representative of the concerns of our members.
“We appreciate the opportunity to collaborate with government at this critical time for the industry.
“We look forward to a report which will support the recovery of outbound travel this year.”