Travel bosses are meeting next week to discuss the energy crisis and wider cost-of-living issues amid growing concern of their affect on the sector.
The Future Travel Coalition – which includes ABTA, Advantage Travel Partnership, AITO, the Business Travel Association, The Travel Network Group and the Scottish Passenger Agents’ Association among others – will discuss the issue when it meets at ABTA’s offices.
The meeting was confirmed in the latest blog by ABTA Chief Executive Mark Tanzer, who assured members that concerns about energy costs are at the top of the agenda when it speaks to Government departments.
He said: “ABTA coordinates the Future Travel Coalition of travel trade bodies and consortia.
“Cost of living challenges are an active part of our discussions as a group, and we will be acting together to present to Government the scale of the challenge facing the sector.
“The Coalition meets on a monthly basis and next week we’ll be welcoming the group to ABTA’s office to look at the action the group can take together on cost of living and continuing with other lobbying priorities.”
He said the association is already communicating with Tory leadership candidates Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak on the issue and will be engaging with other relevant Ministers when the new cabinet is appointed.
He said: “ABTA is already pushing on the issue of higher energy costs with the leadership candidates and relevant Government departments, including suggesting the extension of business rates support, and Government working with the British Business Bank to give businesses more headroom with the repayment of business loans taken on during the COVID crisis.
“We also support calls from across the business sector for a cap on business energy rates, especially for SME businesses given the extent of the challenge they face.
“We will be engaging with newly appointed Ministers as soon as they are in place to emphasise the severity of the difficulties faced by ABTA members.”
Yesterday, Travel Gossip reported agents were urging travel leaders to work together ahead of rising bills in October, with TARGET suggesting the industry could create a buying power network and negotiate with energy companies to bring prices down.
