To ask the Minister for the Economy what support she is providing for travel agents to help protect businesses and jobs in the sector until at least Spring 2021.

The economic impact of COVID-19 is unprecedented. Huge economic impacts that might normally take months or years to unfold occurred within weeks as a result of lockdown and industry shutdowns.

The travel industry has been impacted particularly hard, both locally and on a global scale. This is as a result of the fact that we have been and are still very much in the midst of a public health crisis. All of the decisions that have been made in relation to foreign travel have been deemed necessary by the NI Executive, based on the very latest health advice and scientific evidence.

The Executive introduced an unprecedented range of financial support to help businesses impacted by Covid-19 with the objective of protecting jobs, preventing business closures and promoting economic recovery.

The Department for Economy has paid out more than £340million collectively across three grant schemes. Travel Agents were eligible to apply for all three Business Support Schemes introduced by the Department.

To date, 11 Travel Agents benefitted from a grant via the £25k Retail, Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure scheme. A further 32 Travel Agents received a grant via the NI Microbusiness Hardship Fund. Travel Agents also benefit from a one year business rates relief introduced by the Department of Finance.

Following the recent decision to introduce a four week restriction period under the revised Health Regulations, the Executive has announced a number of new support schemes to help those businesses and individuals most affected.

The UK Government has also implemented a range of interventions to support business including the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) and the Self-Employed Income Support Scheme (SEISS), and these have both been extended until March 2021 and possibly beyond.

On 1 October 2020, I met with a representative of the travel agency industry, and I have received and responded to a significant volume of communication from this sector. My Department is receiving calls from a growing number of sectors, all of whom believe that they require additional support over and above that already offered by the Executive.

In considering further interventions, it will be for the Executive collectively to determine how the limited funding available will be allocated to best support economic recovery moving forward.

To this end, I am aware that the First Minister and deputy First Minister, accompanied by the Finance Minister, met with representatives from the Association of Northern Ireland Travel Agents on Wednesday 4th November, and I understand that a number of actions have been agreed as a consequence of this meeting.

I will discuss these with my fellow Executive colleagues in due course, and I have stated on record that I am sympathetic to the requests for help that have been made by this sector.