ABTA and UKinbound take the trade to the Labour Party Conference
ABTA and UKinbound brought travel industry figures to the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool on Sunday 27 September 2026. The two associations hosted a joint reception with politicians. More than fifty guests attended.
The associations put a set of figures in front of MPs and named three costs they want government to move.
Webb hosts, Peacock speaks
Chris Webb MP hosted the reception. Webb holds Blackpool South and chairs the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Tourism and Hospitality.
Stephanie Peacock MP spoke. Peacock holds Barnsley South and serves as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, an appointment made on 22 July 2026. She carries the tourism brief.
Webb told the room about his own connections to the industry. He said a new administration in Downing Street is a renewed chance for the industry to be heard and treated as a strategic part of the economy.
Peacock recognised the challenges the industry faces. She said she intends to engage with it, build relationships and advocate for tourism across government.
88.5 billion pounds, 1.4 million jobs
ABTA and UKinbound put the combined contribution of international travel at 88.5 billion pounds a year in gross value added. The same figures count more than 1.4 million jobs across the UK. Both numbers belong to the two associations and cover inbound and outbound travel together.
The associations report the combined figure rising from 80 billion pounds.
How the report splits the total
The report behind the numbers attributes 57 billion pounds of the gross value added to outbound travel. It counts 865,000 outbound jobs and 508,000 inbound jobs. The 1.4 million total divides into 576,000 direct jobs, 337,000 indirect jobs and 252,000 induced jobs.
The report carries a nation and region breakdown. In the north-west of England, where the conference sits, outbound travel contributes 6.4 billion pounds and supports 98,000 jobs. Inbound travel contributes 3.5 billion pounds and supports 57,000 jobs in the same region.
The asks: business rates, APD, visas
The industry representatives named business rates, Air Passenger Duty and visa costs as barriers to growth. Their list also covers the competitiveness of UK businesses and their employment costs.
The release states no cost for any item on that list. It names no rate, threshold or deadline.
The case for outbound
The associations ground the asks in the links between the two sectors. Outbound travel supplies the passenger volumes that keep international routes running. Those routes carry travellers through regional airports across the country. The joint statement names ports and airports as infrastructure both sectors use.
Petherbridge and Croft on the event
Luke Petherbridge, Director of Public Affairs at ABTA, said the event gave the trade a chance to celebrate tourism's contribution and to discuss the links between inbound and outbound travel with Labour politicians. He said the discussions turned on the role outbound travel plays in jobs and growth across the UK. He said the trade wants to work with government on a policy environment for growth.
Joss Croft OBE, chief executive of UKinbound, called the event the inaugural Tourism Reception at the Labour Party Conference. He said the attendance and the quality of discussion reflected recognition of the sector's role in jobs, investment and growth across every nation and region. He said the reception is in the diary for next year.
The government's own file on business rates
HM Treasury opened a call for evidence on 24 August 2026 on the valuation methodology for pub and hotel business rates in England and Wales. The consultation closes on 16 October 2026. Jerry Schurder leads the review.
The reception release records no commitment from the minister on business rates, Air Passenger Duty or visa costs, and no response from the department to the asks.