Travel campaign launches to give key workers a much-needed holiday
A travel industry led campaign to thank key workers for their pandemic efforts has launched in the UK.
Give Them A Break (GTAB) is a not-for-profit campaign created by sustainable tourism expert, Rachel McCaffery.
It launches this week with a call for donations to its charity fund, which will be used to make thousands of holidays and days out available for key workers to enjoy when lockdown restrictions ease.
"Week after week the Great British public has shown their appreciation for those who have helped us, healed us and held the country together since the pandemic began," said McCaffery.
"Although we may not be clapping for carers anymore, our key workers should still be recognised for the effort and sacrifices they’ve made, and will need a break when this is all over.
"We believe that now’s the time to do something practical so we’re calling on everyone to show their gratitude once more and donate to our fund.
"By the end of this, with the help of the British public and the UK travel industry, we aim to provide 10,000 days out, breaks and holidays for the key workers who have done so much for us all."
The GTAB campaign will be made up of two initiatives.
The first, the Give Them A Break Fund, is live now and is asking members of the public and businesses to donate.
The fund will be managed by GTAB’s charity partner, the Family Holiday Association, which will also assist with the administration of grants and allocations of holidays to key workers and their families when travel restrictions ease.
In the second initiative, by the end of June there will be a Give Them A Break Directory with a range of exclusive deals and discounted offers from a selection of travel brands specialising in UK and overseas holidays and experiences, specifically for the UK’s key workers.
Brands that have already signed up to take part include Abercrombie & Kent, Alpharooms, Dragoman, Elegant Holidays, Elite Island Resorts, Hyatt, Intrepid Travel, Neo Travel, Sanctuary Retreats, The Nation Unites (the visitor attractions scheme for NHS workers), Teletext Holidays, TravelLocal, Transindus, Travelbag, Travel Republic and USAirtours, with further names being added daily.
"The response of the travel and tourism industry so far has been great, but the more holidays, domestic tourist attraction operators and UK experiences we can offer, the better. So we’re also urging businesses to contact us so we can talk about how they can be involved," added McCaffery.
Any travel brands operating in the UK or overseas who are interested in getting involved can reach the GTAB team at [email protected].
Those who lend their support will also be invited to promote their involvement through their own communities and networks to join in and donate to the fund.
To raise awareness along with other campaign activities and build momentum, the #givethemabreak hashtag will be used across all key social channels.
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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