Wanted: new Minister for Travel

The Government’s handling of the Covid-19 crisis has failed to hit the mark. Take the chaotic launch of the Global Travel Taskforce. Positive murmurings that a vital testing pilot would be set up became a victim of ill-informed speculation.

Instead we heard, via Twitter, that trials were being put on the back burner. Our pleas for airport tests seem to have fallen on deaf ears.

It's as if there is a huge knowledge deficit in Government about what is required to get our industry up off its knees. Too often evidence is ignored. Some sceptical Ministers seem to conveniently set aside the facts: testing trials in other markets have demonstrated high levels of accuracy and effectiveness.

Our industry cannot wait for months as the taskforce decides on its remit, seeks evidence, arranges its opinions and eventually delivers its recommendations. Waiting for wise words to emerge before Christmas just will not do.

We will only survive if the taskforce acts on testing in weeks, not months.

Our frustration has been further compounded by the launch of the Job Support Scheme and the relaunch of the Winter Economic Plan swiftly on its heels. Once again the Treasury blatantly failed to recognise the first law of Covid economics, namely that all sectors are not affected equally.

By our members’ calculations, the Job

Scheme will, on average, save just one job per business travel company. 50% of people in business travel are set to lose their jobs in the coming weeks, with worse to come in 2021.

Despite our disappointments, we continue to try to deepen our relationships across Government and argue for workable solutions rather than just asking for unlimited subsidies and grants.

We as an industry are ready to play our part, but we need to find a new voice to represent us - a newly-established Minister for Travel, charged with shaking off the inertia around finding safe, positive solutions to re-ignite our economy and get Britain moving again.