乐播传媒

World leaders are faced with constant choices as COVID-19 progresses. How much financial support can we afford to give? Which industries should be heard first? Who deserves the most aid? As they allocate the limited support packages available, governments and policymakers are under huge pressure to make the best decisions.

And with so many sectors clamoring for support, we need to get travel the backing it deserves.

Travel and Tourism contribute massively to the global economy. These industries generated US$8.9 trillion in 2019, which accounted for聽10% of global GDP聽and 1 in 10 jobs. There鈥檚 too much at stake to allow our leaders to forget that.聽 We must have representation present where decisions are being made, be it about fiscal aid, travel restrictions, quarantines, or other areas that impact travel businesses.

But ours is a complex and segmented industry. There are hundreds of different lobby groups and associations representing businesses across our ecosystem 鈥� with each asking policymakers to consider their specific needs. Many assume the voice that shouts loudest gets heard, but that鈥檚 rarely the case.

The past year has shown that the more powerful approach is to come together to present a unified front. 乐播传媒 has taken a leading role in shaping our path to recovery and ensuring nobody gets left behind. We鈥檙e joining forces with others in the industry to support job growth, the global economy and a safe return to travel. Here鈥檚 how we鈥檙e effectively advocating across the board:

Securing industry support and job safety

My role at 乐播传媒 is to inform policymakers on our industry鈥檚 needs, strengths, and capabilities, as well as pushing for further beneficial legislative and regulatory actions. In doing so I work closely with airlines, hotels, agencies, travel technology companies, travel management companies (TMCs), and many other industry players to develop proposals for better, more effective resolutions to government leaders.

One of the most critical functions 乐播传媒 has undertaken since the pandemic began is to represent a collaborative voice, so government leaders can make better decisions in the interest of all industry stakeholders. In this way, we鈥檙e using our seat at the table to champion the value that ticket agents, technology companies and everyone in our industry contributes to economies around the world. Together, we must demand the support we need to safely and effectively restore travel.

“We鈥檙e using our seat at the table to champion the value that ticket agents, technology companies and everyone in our industry contributes to economies around the world.”

Here鈥檚 some of the initiatives we鈥檝e prioritized:

1. Looking out for US travel agents and travel technology companies

The technology companies that facilitate travel commerce and the connections between suppliers, agents, and travelers are a vital part our ecosystem. 乐播传媒 is an active member of the Travel Technology Association (TTA) 鈥斅爓hich represents the sector that powers the industry, from startups to legacy technologies and everything in between.

Last May, I shared a聽behind-the-scenes glimpse聽of how we ensured the CARES Act would also cover travel agents, ticket agents, and travel technology companies severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. It was a proud moment when US lawmakers agreed with our proposal and granted these businesses eligibility to participate in the various programs that protected many jobs and offered financial relief.

Simon Gros and I reflected on聽乐播传媒鈥檚 role in lobbying for these intermediaries. After months of discussions within the Treasury Department, our efforts came to fruition when聽聽under the lending program established by the CARES Act. But this is just one example.

2. Strengthening job security for the US hospitality and travel sector

Alongside our allies in the TTA, 乐播传媒 joined forces with the U.S. Travel Association (and numerous other travel and tourism organizations) in October, to urge Congress to support聽.

This legislation provides various tax incentives to help return millions of people to their jobs, including enhancements to the Employee Retention Tax Credit, and a modest tax credit for many Americans who choose to travel again.

3. Driving a centralized plan for recovery in Europe

Outside the US, 乐播传媒 is a member of the聽, an alliance of more than 60 European public and private organizations. It actively calls on EU policy makers to support the travel sector with a centralized approach 鈥� rather than each country making and adapting its own rules, restrictions, and plans.

We鈥檙e urging European governments to agree on a harmonized approach to travel restrictions within the region. This makes it simpler for everyone, especially travelers, to understand 鈥� which will help to restore confidence and get them moving again.

We鈥檙e also helping to ensure that travel gets the government support it needs to continue driving economic growth and job creation in Europe. Specifically, we鈥檙e advocating that travel and tourism is a part of national recovery and resilience plans. We鈥檙e also well as raising awareness on how new online payment rules impact travel recovery.

Global recovery needs us all

Earlier I said that it鈥檚 better for the travel industry to act together and seek support collectively. Rather than risk one voice being drowned out, we can be so much stronger, and more persuasive by presenting a unified front. 乐播传媒 has been using its seat at the table to speak up and support the industry associations that serve as a collective voice for the many, making sure nobody gets left behind.

By working together as an industry, we can deliver a more holistic approach that eliminates the need for varying travel restrictions at country level. We can also advocate for standards that allow for a safe, unambiguous return to travel.

For example, last year 乐播传媒 worked with the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), to develop聽. These 18 measures helped to formalize what we needed to deliver a safe, secure and seamless return to flying, with contributions from industry organizations around the world. Destinations and companies that comply with these protocols can use a WTTC 鈥楽afe Travels鈥� stamp 鈥� which has now been earned by more than 100 destinations worldwide 鈥� helping to further restore consumer confidence.

All of this is helping to reinforce the value of travel and tourism, and to gain further attention and support from governments and decision-makers around the world.

What next?

This is just a snapshot of some ways we鈥檝e been supporting recovery so far. 乐播传媒 is committed to staying at the forefront of this process 鈥� and recently our CEO Greg Webb was聽appointed to the United States Travel and Tourism Advisory Board. This will further enable us to share our knowledge and insights, and ensure the new travel experience is safe, secure and exciting. It will also allow us to shape current and emerging issues, and to advocate for our partners in proposing solutions to industry-related problems.

This pandemic has shown itself to be unpredictable, and it will remain so. But something we can control is working more closely together to promote the value and viability of our industry. We must work together to implement unified safety measures, and to use quality research to prove they do in fact reduce risk. We must also share insights on how measures like COVID-19 testing at airports impacts traveler confidence.

Collaboration of this nature will help to discourage travel restrictions and will strengthen our case in pitching for more government relief. This is the most effective way that we can restore trust and consumer confidence, because continued testing and a widescale vaccine rollout will likely become a standard in the 鈥渘ew normal鈥� for travel. And it is up to us, as an industry, to help travelers adjust and become accustomed to the necessary changes that will get people moving again.