Shapps must come up with cash so travel doesn't become preserve of rich

TSSA General Secretary Manuel Cortes today urged Transport Minister Grant Shapps to provide financial support to the travel trade to fund covid-related refunds so holidaymakers can book with confidence.

Manuel Cortes said: 

"People need certainty to book holidays abroad. Today’s announcement goes some way to making it clear where people can book holidays, but with the warning that countries could move from Green to Amber at short notice workers won’t want to risk their hard-earned cash.

"It’s simply not good enough for the Tories to tell people to make sure they book a package with a refund when the travel industry is already on its knees. The government needs to provide financial support to the travel trade to fund those refunds so holidaymakers can book with confidence.

"The travel industry has been hit harder and longer than any other UK industry and has had far less support than it needs. Without support from the government it’s unreasonable to expect a firm at risk of going bust to provide refunds if the country on the Green list gets reclassified to Amber at the last minute.

"Put simply, if Shapps doesn’t come up with the cash our holiday industry needs then it’s likely that travel will become the preserve of the very rich."