The travel industry has shown its resilience, once again, by getting through Covid largely in one piece, albeit with many agents and operators emerging from the pandemic saddled with debts that will prove a burden for years to come. Many would say this is stealth, rather than design, by the government.
As chief executive of a fast-growing luxury-focused tour operator and agency, I have a broad insight into the industry’s dialogue with the government, and the issues travel had attempting to speak with one voice.
While the majority of industries are controlled by one single government department or ministry, the responsibility for outbound tourism is spread across many, and that has added complexity to lobbying efforts.
In my 25 years in this industry, I can’t remember a time when there was full strategic alignment with Westminster. But that isn’t entirely the government’s fault; travel and tourism is a broad church, and stakeholders’ ideal outcomes differ.
A change of government will only improve things if it chooses to prioritise travel and tourism, which is unlikely owing to the optics around emissions and sustainability – however unfair that is.
We need to recognise the government did do some things to support our sector – backing refund credit notes through the CAA kept the industry solvent, as did loans to businesses and furlough payments. They listened, then chose to prioritise other areas.
Maybe travel and tourism spend streaking ahead of other sectors last year [2023] in terms of growth will highlight [to the government] the importance of holidays to the public, even if its contribution to GDP and support for 500,000 jobs doesn’t. Let’s hope the next government is listening more closely.
Alistair Rowland is chief executive of Blue Bay Travel.
