ABTA

Millions of people will be heading abroad over the Christmas and New Year period, 20 December to 2 January reveals ABTA – The Travel Association.

The Office for Budgetary Responsibility notes that APD is amongst the fastest growing of all taxes in the UK. The government must keep a close eye on the overall cost of travel to ensure that hard-earned holidays remain within reach

Biodiversity, which encapsulates all living things including plants, animals, organisms and the different habitats they live in, is intrinsically linked to travel and tourism. 

The Travel Association has announced that Calvià, Mallorca will be the destination for next year’s Travel Convention, which will take place from 6-8 October 2025. 

ABTA is now in the process of recruiting a new Head of Membership, to take on this important role.

Mike Kane MP, Minister for Aviation, Maritime and Security, Department for Transport, will be giving the keynote speech at ABTA’s Travel Matters, to be held in central London on Tuesday 3 December 2024.

Following the General Election in the UK, Mark Tanzer, Chief Executive of ABTA – The Travel Association gave the following statement, he said: “We look forward to working with the new Government on the priorities for the travel industry and our members.

ABTA’s research shows that travel and tourism can grow faster than the rest of the economy over the next few years but only with the right policy framework.

ABTA is bringing together experts and officials from the EU to deliver a video webinar exclusively for ABTA members on the introduction of the EU Entry Exit System (EES) and European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS)

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has called for young people to be able to move freely to and from the EU. ABTA has welcomed the Mayor’s comments, saying they reflect growing political support to extend the Youth Mobility Scheme, to EU countries to help UK staff work abroad and EU workers to come to the UK. 

Ahead of Sunshine Saturday, one of the busiest days of the year for holiday bookings, ABTA – The Travel Association has launched its Destinations to Watch in 2024 report.

ABTA – The Travel Association estimates that millions of passengers will be heading abroad over the Christmas and New Year period, 22 December to 2 January.

ABTA – The Travel Association has published new guidance for members which gives an overview of the legal framework that businesses need to work within when they market and advertise their environmental credentials, with advice on how to avoid greenwashing.

ABTA’s public affairs team will attend all three political party conferences over the next few weeks to highlight the importance of the outbound travel industry to the UK economy and discuss the policy priorities to support UK travel businesses.

ABTA has unveiled its events programme for 2023/24, which includes four new one-day conferences on top of its popular flagship conferences, plus a suite of core training events.

ABTA – The Travel Association estimates that over two million British holidaymakers are set to head overseas for summer holidays the weekend (21-24 July), which for the majority of schools in England and Wales marks the start of the summer break, with 22 July expected to be the busiest day of the weekend.

Richard Slater, Chair of the ABTA North West region, has been appointed to the ABTA Board of Directors. Slater was selected by the other ABTA regional chairs to be put forward for appointment.

ABTA and Seasonal Businesses in Travel (SBiT) are calling on the UK and EU governments to work together to address challenges travel companies are facing employing staff in EU holiday destinations.

The Aviation Minister, Baroness Vere of Norbiton, and Labour’s Shadow Minister for Transport, Mike Kane MP, will address senior industry figures at ABTA’s Travel Matters conference next month.

Ahead of the busy summer season for European departures, ABTA – The Travel Association is reminding members and the wider industry of the new post-Brexit passport rules to share with their customers so they can check that their passport will be valid for their travel dates.