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Help must be quick to save bookings, warn tourism gurus
The Giants Consortium, representing 2,000 travel agents in America and Canada, are warning the British government that they need to act immediately if bookings for visitors to the UK are to be maintained. In a report in The Independent newspaper this week, Jenni Ross, chief operating officer of the consortium said the booking window for European travel is 45 to 60 days ahead and bookings are very sharply down. Forty senior tourist industry figures from America and other key markets overseas came to Britain this month as part of a drive to lure visitors back to the countryside. However, tourism bodies fear the Treasury may be back peddling over the granting of emergency aid to attract back foreign tourists. The only monies granted so far total £6m, with no indication of whether there will be any further payments. The BTA has bid for £22.5m but so far has been granted just £2.2m. The ETC has bid for £35m and received £3.8m.