About Us
March 2020 was the start of the most challenging period on record for the UK Outbound Travel industry – a total apocalypse. International travel closed, aircraft stood grounded, families and loved ones were separated, operations halted and thousands of workers furloughed. The subsequent recovery has been remarkable.
When travel bans lifted, pent-up demand surged, with our sector demonstrating extraordinary resilience and growth. Yet reflecting on this apocalyptic scenario, having lived and worked through this fateful time, what lessons have we truly learned?
What are we doing differently as a UK outbound travel industry?
Despite the unprecedented disruption, have we as industry leaders invested in establishing the proactive lobbying mechanisms we identified as woefully lacking in 2020 – mechanisms needed to future-proof against potential health emergencies or geopolitical disruptions.
The pandemic’s impact on UK Outbound Travel was catastrophic, particularly for small businesses. Independent travel agencies and tour operators faced extended periods with zero income while managing significant overhead costs. Many family-owned businesses built over decades struggled to survive.
A critical failing was our inability to effectively communicate the sector’s economic significance to policymakers. While other economic sectors received recognition for their fiscal contribution, the UK outbound travel sector – supporting hundreds of thousands of jobs and delivering billions to the UK economy – remained poorly understood in Westminster.
The UK Outbound Travel Group was launched in xxxx to address this need and has been set up to ensure that, by strengthening our collective voice now, we can ensure the UK Outbound Travel industry never again faces existential threats without the ability to advocate effectively for its survival and the livelihoods of the thousands who depend on it.
Today the group comprises: The Advantage Travel Partnership (ATP), The Specialist Travel Association (AITO) the Government approved bonding association (ABTOT), who together represent some 700 independent agents and some 600 independent and specialist operators, Intele Travel UKL Ltd, The Travel Specialist Consultancy Limited, TMU Management and Attraction Tickets Ltd.
