A delegation from Internova Travel Group in the US arrived into the UK on Monday to mark the first phase of the reopening of transatlantic travel.
The group, consisting of Internova Travel Group’s leadership team alongside top advisors and representatives from Delta Airlines’ management team, arrived in London Heathrow on Delta, Virgin Atlantic and British Airways flights.
The occasion, described as “a significant milestone” for travel recovery, was marked with a champagne reception at the Corinthia London.
“When you consider just how important the US/UK flight routes are to the entire industry – not least, the global economy – this is a pivotal moment,” said Peter Vlitas, Executive Vice President of Global Supplier Relations at Internova Travel Group.
“The industry has been waiting 17 months for this news. Being able to bring our advisors and our senior leaders over to the UK signals the start of a real and sustainable recovery period.
“The UK is a vital market for all of our sectors within the travel industry and we hope this reopening can now pave the way for a laser-focussed approach to reciprocating the arrangements for UK travellers heading to the US. We now call upon the US Government to establish a framework to open the UK and the rest of Europe as a matter of priority.”
The Internova Travel Group delegation returns to the US later this week and intends to continue its advocacy work on both sides of the Atlantic, supporting the efforts by ABTA, the BTA and SPAA to promote the importance of reopening the US for UK and European travellers.
