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<p>We hold regular discussions with Her Majesty’s Treasury and across Government regarding
the significant impact of COVID-19 restrictions on the travel sector, including online
travel agencies.</p><p>The Government has introduced a number of support measures
for businesses and individuals through COVID-19, which online travel agencies can
access. These include various government-backed loans, as well as the extended furlough
and self-employed support schemes.</p><p>The Chancellor also announced that Local
Authorities in England will be given an additional £594 million discretionary funding
to support their local businesses. This builds on the £1.1 billion discretionary funding
which local authorities in England have already received to support their local economies
and help businesses impacted. The guidance for this funding encourages Local Authorities
to develop discretionary grant schemes to help those businesses which - while not
legally forced to close - are nonetheless severely impacted by the restrictions. We
encourage local authorities to be sympathetic to applications from businesses such
as online travel agents who may not have been eligible for other grants.</p><p>We
continue to engage with relevant stakeholders, including UKInbound and the Association
of British Travel Agents, to assess how we can best support the sector’s domestic
and international recovery.</p><p> </p>
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