This year’s virtual ABTA conference revealed new figures showing the impact of the coronavirus crisis on overseas travel. Only 15% of people took a foreign holiday between February and July compared to 51% over the 12-month period, and 64% the previous year.

More than half (53%) of people said they took fewer overseas holidays this past year compared to the previous year, with 87% of those saying they took fewer holidays because of coronavirus.

The current Government restrictions around international travel are a major contributing factor in people’s reticence to travel, with 93% of people concerned about potential last-minute changes to Foreign Office travel advice and four in five people (80%) concerned about having to quarantine when they return from holiday to the UK.

While general support measures, such as furlough and the business interruption loan schemes, have given breathing space to some travel businesses, the underlying theme was that the Government failed to act.  ABTA, and all organisations involved in travel, have been calling for this since the start of the crisis.  The appearance by Secretary of State Grant Shapps was hardly reassuring, claiming that Government was supporting industry.  His words seemed to indicate all industry, but not specifically travel.   

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