TUI boss calls for more support for families who can’t afford holidays
TUI chief executive Peter Long has urged the Government to do more to support holidays for hardworking struggling families.
Long, who is also president of the Family Holiday Association, made the plea in a speech given to the Holidays Matter conference at World Travel Market.
"As the Prime Minister rightly said recently, the Government should do everything possible to support and strengthen family life in Britain today," he said.
"Therefore every government department will be held to account for the impact their policies have on families. "
He said whoever assumes power after the forthcoming election should ensure that all the £500 million currently allocated by central government for family breaks must be ‘ring-fenced and not diverted by local authorities’.
"Over two million families in Britain, that’s seven million people, do not have enough money for a holiday," he added.
"Equally sobering is the reality that of those seven million, five million can’t even afford a single day out. My personal aim is to make these appalling statistics clear to the people who run this country so something can be done."
Over the last 12 months, the FHA has seen a 21% increase in funds raised nd strengthened links with key corporate supporters.
* TUI UK & Ireland has become the first UK travel company to be fully certified by Travelife – the international sustainability system for tour operators and travel agencies.
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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