ABTA advocacy shapes travel policy, engages politicians

Saturday, January 20, 2024

Luke Petherbridge, Director of Public Affairs, ABTA: This week, opinion polls have garnered attention as analysts speculate on the upcoming General Election. However, for ABTA’s lobbying and political engagement efforts, our focus remains on policy rather than polling. The start of 2024 has been marked by a busy period as we actively advocate for the significance of the UK travel industry in the economy and champion the priorities of our members.

Our public affairs strategy involves engaging with politicians across the political spectrum on behalf of ABTA members, a crucial aspect as we approach the General Election. Our current emphases include ensuring the continuity of an educational pathway for travel and tourism and advocating for vital changes to labor mobility between the UK and the EU for roles in the tourism sector.

This week, Luke Petherbridge, ABTA’s Director of Public Affairs, addressed these issues at a Tourism Alliance roundtable event alongside Barbara Keeley MP, the Labour Shadow Tourism Minister. Additionally, discussions on these topics recently took place with Baroness Twycross, the Labour Spokesperson for Education in the Lords.

Similar conversations have been held with Liberal Democrat leads in the House of Commons, including Wera Hobhouse MP on Transport and Climate Change and Jamie Stone MP on Tourism. Both MPs expressed receptivity to our views, particularly on youth mobility, pledging to raise the matter with the Minister for Countering Illegal Immigration, Michael Tomlinson KC MP.

Looking ahead, I anticipate discussing these matters directly with the Aviation Minister, Anthony Browne MP, during our meeting at the end of the month.

On a different note, earlier this week, Luke and I engaged in a constructive conversation with the CAA’s Independent Review Panel investigating the failure of the NATS air traffic management system over the August bank holiday weekend last year. While media coverage has focused on the impact on airlines and airports, it’s crucial for the review to acknowledge how this incident affected all facets of the travel ecosystem. We hope the final report, expected later this year, includes meaningful recommendations to prevent any recurrence in the future, recognizing the exceptional efforts of ABTA members nationwide who went above and beyond in supporting customers despite incurring significant costs.

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