Grant Shapps mocked for spaceflight tweet on eve of ABTA appearance
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has been derided on Twitter for a tweet about the government’s support for the space industry on the eve of the ABTA Convention where he is due to deliver a speech.
In his tweet, Mr Shapps said he was ‘excited to have us take another step towards space launches from British soil’.
But users slammed the tweet, saying its timing was insensitive, and they said the minister’s words highlighted how out of touch he was with the plight of the travel industry.
Lockie Kerr, business development consultant and Inspire My Holiday wrote: "We can’t even fly to Tenerife at the moment and you’re fluffing on about flying to space?! Get a grip with what’s happening around you now in the travel industry."
Airbus pilot Paul Thorn said: "How insensitive and out of touch is this tweet? I’d like to keep my job flying planes here and now. Space can wait."
Others said the tweet was ‘an incredible misreading of the mood and current situation of the office for which he is minister’.
Mr Shapps will talk at ABTA’s virtual Travel Convention on Wednesday about the government’s ‘vision for the future of travel and tourism’. It is not yet known whether he will give any further details about space travel.
Many on Twitter said investment in space travel was a waste of money, saying it was wrong to spend resources on future travel instead of saving existing travel businesses.
Travel Club Elite sales manager Zoe Franklin said: "Omg are you serious ? Space travel ? This is more important right now than saving one of the biggest industries in the UK that you have TOTALLY IGNORED?"
Operations manager Jeremy Albert added: "Show some sensitivity for heavens sake, who the hell is interested in space travel, sort out the mess of international travel here on planet earth !! Just respond to some of the travel organisations , anything even if it’s just foxtrot Oscar !!"
It is not the first time Mr Shapps has riled the travel industry. He caused widespread anger in April when he told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme that he ‘wouldn’t be booking a summer holiday at this point’. ABTA Chief Executive Mark Tanzer said: "It was a thoughtless comment and not based on any facts about what we know today about the future of the pandemic, but it shows complete disregard for the UK travel industry, the hundreds of thousands of people it employs and the struggle it is facing in this current crisis."
In fact, Mr Shapps did later take a family holiday to Spain and was immediately forced to return home after the UK government removed it from the travel corridor list.
He will speak at the ABTA Convention on Wednesday morning.
By Linsey McNeill, Editor (UK)
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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