British travel industry urges swifter reopening of sector

The U.K.’s travel industry has held a day of action to put pressure on the British government to accelerate the reopening of the sector and to provide cash-strapped businesses with much-needed financial support

LONDON -- The U.K.’s travel industry held a day of action Wednesday, pressing the British government to allow more quarantine-free travel and provide cash-strapped businesses with much-needed financial support. Hundreds of industry workers, including travel agents, pilots and cabin crew from airlines such as British Airways and easyJet, gathered outside the parliament in London. There were other protests in Edinburgh and in Belfast. Derek Jones, head of luxury travel firm Kuoni, said the outbound travel sector has been “decimated" by the coronavirus pandemic, as well as by the government’s “haphazard” response. “We are united in one message today," he said. "We want to see the safe reopening of international travel alongside targeted financial support for businesses which have not been able to trade for well over a year.”