Travel Taskforce Must Help High Streets

TSSA General Secretary, Manuel Cortes, has called on travel companies to push for Government action which will secure travel jobs on the high street once the Covid pandemic is over.

The travel sector has reported a huge surge in bookings after the Government revealed a plan to ease pandemic restrictions – with a decision on international travel expected by June.

Britain’s biggest holiday firm – Tui - has said bookings for foreign trips jumped 500 per cent overnight, after Boris Johnson’s Monday announcement.

Commenting, Cortes, said: “It’s great to see that many people are once again booking holidays. As the specialist union for people in travel we want to be involved in building back a better travel trade which secures a high-street presence.

“Sadly, over the past year we have seen the loss of thousands of travel trade jobs and many businesses. Despite our many warnings Ministers all but ignored this vital sector of the economy during the pandemic.

We are now calling on Tui, Hays Travel, Barrhead Travel and many others to work with us to make it clear to Transport Secretary, Grant Shapps, that the Government’s new Global Travel Taskforce must have teeth.

“There needs to be a sustained and meaningful recovery for travel businesses on our high streets, and that requires an industry specific taskforce focus on the travel trade itself. The Government must now listen to the collective voices of our union and travel companies so that together we can ensure a brighter future for all.”