An independent agents group set up in an effort to influence government is calling on the trade to rally round ahead of a key meeting next week.
Abta chief executive Mark Tanzer is due to address the Treasury select committee on June 7 as part of an evidence session exploring financial support offered to different sectors of the economy in response to the Covid pandemic.
Target – Travel Agents Reform Group Engaged Together – is calling on agents to support the opportunity and to share their experiences of how they have been hit financially.
The group sees the select committee meeting as an opportunity for the association to reiterate calls for a tailored approach to financial support for the travel sector.
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Travel companies face a slower path to recovery amid constraints the industry will be under for many months to come.
Target co-founder Jill Waite (Pole Travel) said: “This is a huge opportunity to get the message across to the Treasury select committee as to how the travel industry has suffered worse financially than other sectors, during the Covid crises.
“We all need to support this opportunity to get our message across.
“We are asking travel agents to share their personal experiences during lockdown with us and we will forward these to Mark Tanzer at Abta to give him the opportunity to use some of these experiences, when he appears before the select committee.”
Fellow Target co-founder Graeme Brett (Westoe Travel) added: “We want to hear from as many travel agents as possible regardless of whether they are employed or self-employed, business owners, company directors, home workers or call centre full time or part time.
“We would especially like to hear from everyone who has been excluded from grants and the reason for this.
“We will forward the samples to Mark Tanzer confidentially. No personal details of the author will be included.”
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