Support for the Travel Sector during the Coronavirus pandemic

The travel sector has been uniquely affected by the Coronavirus pandemic. The international nature of travel and tourism means that this sector is likely to operate under restrictions for longer than in other parts of the economy.

Darren has worked to support the travel sector throughout the Pandemic and this includes writing to the Chancellor about support packages, taking evidence from the experts in the sector during BEIS sessions and supporting ExcludedUK’s work in Bristol North west.

You can read Darren’s full response about travel sector support here:

Dear Constituent,

Thank you for contacting me about support for travel agents and the travel sector.

While the pandemic has been tough for everyone, there is little doubt that businesses and working people have found the last year especially hard.

I believe the Government has a moral duty, as well as an economic imperative, to ensure that as many shuttered businesses as possible are able to reopen viably. Although I supported lockdown, we have seen economic support increasingly diverge from public health measures, which in my opinion, is wrong. There is also a huge economic cost in seeing successful businesses going to the wall through no fault of their own, with lost taxes, unemployment and lower growth.

In the March 2021 Budget, the Chancellor announced an extension of the furlough scheme, business rates relief and the temporary reduced rate of VAT. While I welcome these measures, I do not believe there was any excuse for holding the announcement of this support back for so long – nor were they enough. In addition, a decade of austerity has reduced the capacity of local authorities, who I know have struggled to distribute money over the last year, due to compliance issues and vetting applicants in case of fraud.

International travel resumed on 17 May, but the Government has been giving out conflicting and confused advice about whether people are allowed to travel, especially to and from ‘amber list’ countries. I believe there should be a pause on international travel to guard against further importing dangerous strains, which would set back hopes for ending restrictions. Any such health intervention would, of course, need to be accompanied by an economic intervention.

It will take a long time for international travel to recover from the impact of the virus and we need clear information for travellers and industry. We can only build a strong economy if we secure the recovery. That means action now to secure jobs and to support job creation in the future, and it means clear steps to help businesses through the worst of this situation. In the end, we all pay more for not supporting businesses than we do for doing so.

Thank you once again for contacting me about this issue.

Yours sincerely,

Darren Jones MP
Member of Parliament for Bristol North West