The UK’s travel industry is holding a day of action to put pressure on the government to reopen the sector and give more financial support to businesses.

Industry body Abta estimates that 195,000 travel jobs have been lost or are at risk as a result of the COVID pandemic.

Ministers have been accused of failing to deliver a restart to travel by “undermining” the UK’s travel traffic light system.

Live COVID updates from the UK and around the world

There are no viable major tourist destinations on the quarantine-free green list, and the government has urged people to avoid holidays to locations on the amber list.

Hundreds of people, including pilots, cabin crew and travel agents, will gather outside the Palace of Westminster later.

Some 200 will meet at an event in Holyrood, Edinburgh, 100 will assemble in Belfast, and a virtual meeting will take place for campaigners in Wales.

The day of action is aimed at persuading the government to expand the green list, and remove testing and quarantine requirements for fully vaccinated travellers returning from green and amber locations.

Tim Alderslade, chief executive of Airlines UK – a trade body representing UK carriers, said: “It is now or never for the government to reopen travel and save what is remaining of the summer season, not just for families desperate to get away but the tens of thousands of jobs which rely upon this once thriving sector.

“Airlines are at the absolute limit of what they can borrow and without a genuine reopening this summer they will require government support to survive.”

Media minister John Whittingdale said he hoped the government would be able to put more countries on the green list of travel restrictions later this week.

Mr Whittingdale told Sky News the list would be reviewed “later this week to make revisions to the green list, and I hope that we can put more countries on to it”.

But he urged people to go on holiday in Britain.

“You can have a great holiday in Britain and I think a very large number of people will decide this year that that’s what they will do,” he said.

“Having said that, people like to get away to the sun and there are a number of countries on the green list, and hopefully it will be possible to increase that number.”

It is understood the government is scheduled to update its travel lists on Thursday, before a “checkpoint” review of the rules for each tier takes place on Monday.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

On Tuesday Tui joined Virgin Atlantic and British Airways’ parent company IAG in supporting legal action against the travel restrictions.

The UK’s largest tour operator said the three firms have become interested parties in a challenge launched by Ryanair and Manchester Airports Group last week.

The legal bid is an attempt to get the government to be more transparent in relation to how it determines which countries are on the green, amber and red lists.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

A government spokeswoman said: “Our international travel policy is guided by one overwhelming priority: protecting public health.

“Decisions on traffic light allocations take into account a range of factors including genomic surveillance capability, transmission risk and variants of concern, with data behind decisions to move countries on the list published online.

“We keep all measures under review and continue to engage with industry and international partners to explore how we can open international travel safely. Both tailored and wider economic support is still available to the sector, including the furlough scheme.”

Related posts:

Trooping the Colour, the Queen’s official birthday celebration, cancelled for second year running ‘Key moment in fight against domestic abuse and sexual assault’: NHS calls for survivors to seek help Police launch hunt for missing mum and two children last seen two days ago Teenager arrested over murder of student who died ‘cradled in his mother’s arms’ UK reported 35,204 cases of Delta variant in a week, Public Health England says Joey Barton pleads not guilty to assault by beating after woman suffered head injury Is the pandemic starting to fizzle out in the UK – or will drop in infections be short-lived? Ospreys return from extinction in England and Wales – as breeding programme celebrates 200th chick UK Afghanistan veterans have taken their own lives over withdrawal – armed forces minister National investigation to be launched over Arthur Labinjo-Hughes murder Manchester Arena staff get counter-terror training on their mobile phones, inquiry hears ‘Tinder rapist’ who sexually assaulted five women he met on dating app is jailed for life