Opinion: Why we need to throw tourism a lifeline right now, with a Travel Day Of Action
As the travel industry prepares to lobby the government, Sarah Marshall says we need to fight now, before it’s too late.
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Your support makes all the difference.The way foreign travel has been dealt with since the beginning of the pandemic has caused much distress for everyone in the industry. First we had the unchecked, open borders, then the finger pointing and extreme travel shaming, followed by a traffic light system where colours flash from one to another like a disco strobe.
Until now, the tourism industry has been patient, waiting for vaccines to be safely administered with the hope a return to foreign travel could follow. As yet, however, those hopes have failed to materialise.
Now Tui, Virgin, Ryanair and British Airways are taking legal action, and today (June 23) hundreds of agents are expected to join a Travel Day Of Action in London, Edinburgh and Belfast, to lobby for a safe restart of international travel. Consumers can also take part in a Twitterstorm planned at 2pm by using the hashtag #traveldayofaction.
Organised by travel body ABTA the protest intends to put pressure on the government to expand the green list of countries where quarantine-free travel is permitted, whilst retaining a strong red list to safeguard against variants. They are also calling for a package of tailored financial support, to help the ailing industry.
But the suffering goes much further. In an open letter to Boris Johnson the World Travel & Tourism Council has warned the government that the UK faces a £639 million daily loss if international travel remains off limits in July, and up to 218,000 more jobs in the sector are also at serious risk of being lost, if no action is taken now – in addition to the 307,000 jobs which were lost in the UK last year.
For most of us, the cancellation of foreign holidays is both frustrating and annoying. But for so many people employed by the industry – both here and overseas – the ripple effects have resulted in a tsunami of disasters. In Africa, for example, where tourism provides a lifeline, thousands have been left jobless and unable to feed their families; precious wildlife has been poached out of hunger and desperation; and cases of domestic violence have soared.
It might sound dramatic, but that’s the harsh truth.
Of course, health and safety should always take priority, and there’s no denying foreign travel has played a part in the spread of variants. But if managed properly, there is a way to carefully restart the industry. Over 47% of British adults have already been double vaccinated, and with appropriate measures put in place, they should have the freedom to travel. From July 1, Europeans will already be on their way thanks to the Green Pass – offering proof a person has tested negative for Covid-19, or received a vaccine. So why should we be left lagging behind?
Perhaps the government should also understand travel is more than just a leisure activity or frivolous luxury; for millions of people, tourism is a livelihood.
Boris himself has said we need to “learn to live” with coronavirus. So, isn’t it about time he went back to the chalkboard and came up with a better study plan?