This week The UK Outbound Travel Group (UKOBTG) held its annual strategy meeting, reflecting on a year of significant progress and setting out a bold agenda for the year ahead.
Over the past 12 months, the group has sharply intensified its engagement with parliamentarians and policymakers. A further 14 visits took place, with MPs across the country meeting in their constituencies and hearing first-hand about the challenges facing the many travel businesses that are represented by the UK outbound travel sector. This brings the MP engagement programme to over 100 visits since the group was established.
The year also saw the group host its inaugural Westminster event, with Stephanie Peacock MP, Minister for Sport, Tourism, Civil Society and Youth in attendance. The event gave the group a powerful platform to put the sector’s priorities directly to those shaping policy.
Julia Lo Bue-Said OBE, CEO Advantage Travel Partnership and spokesperson for the UK Outbound Travel Group, said: “This has been a landmark year, and I’m proud of what our members have achieved together. From further MP visits across the country to our first-ever Westminster event, we’ve strengthened our voice and continued to build relationships with policymakers. We have ambitious plans for the rest of 2026 and into 2027, and we are more determined than ever to make the case for our sector.”
Lo Bue-Said pointed to the group’s growing membership as another major milestone, with the Specialist Holidays Group and PT Trustees joining as Champion members in June. Recruiting further members, she said, would remain a top priority and would encourage forward thinking organisations to join so that they can have a voice in shaping political engagement priorities.
She added: “We’ve introduced tiered pricing to put membership within reach of every travel company, whatever its size. Our vision is to bring together as many voices as possible from right across the sector with a focus on outcomes. This group is about government and industry working hand in hand to create the conditions for travel businesses to grow and invest, while keeping consumers at the centre of every policy decision.
“Looking ahead, the group’s agenda for the next 12 months will tackle the issues that matter most to its business community, at a time when regional growth, high streets and economic delivery are at the heart of Andy Burnham’s policies. It will do so by further amplifying the voice of the sector, pushing for school holidays calendar reform, and securing greater recognition of the regulatory misalignment affecting many travel businesses specifically when it comes to the Package Travel Regulations.”
The meeting was attended by Chris Photi of The Travel Specialist Consultancy, Andy Freeth of Specialist Holidays Group, Sara Zimmerman and Martyn Sumners of AITO, Joanna Kolatsis of Themis Advisory, Samantha Bradbury of ABTOT and Julia Lo Bue-Said OBE, Advantage Travel Partnership.
For more information, please contact Alexis Coles Barrasso on 07801 458054 or at alexis.colesbarrasso@advantagetravelpartnership.com