A meeting has finally taken place between Welwyn-based travel agents Off Broadway Travel and local MP Grant Shapps.

Back in May the agency asked the Transport Secretary to visit their store to see first hand what a travel agent does and find out about how the traffic light system had been causing havoc.

On Friday, July 16, Welwyn Hatfield MP Mr Shapps met Tricia and the team at Off Broadway Travel to listen to their experience of international travel in the wake of the Covid pandemic.

Natalie Bennett, a partner at Off Broadway Travel, told Travel Weekly: “He took everything on board, he listened to us, and it went well. He appreciated that travel had been made illegal and said he would talk to the chancellor [about further sector specific support]."

The meeting came as Mr Shapps recently announced that double vaccinated Brits would no longer have to isolate after travelling to ‘amber list’ countries from July 19.

Previously almost all major tourist destinations were on the amber list, and tourist were required to quarantine for 10 days upon returning - making business extremely difficult for the travel agency.

Off Broadway Travel tweeted after the visit, saying: “A very productive meeting with @grantshapps today our local MP. Thank you very much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to listen & understand our sector.”

Partner Mark Beattie also tweeted: "It was lovely having a chat with @grantshapps today, very down to earth and think he gets how we feel!"

The green list now has more than two dozen locations which can be visited - passengers just need to take a test before and after travelling.

Mr Shapps said: “I had a very useful discussion with the team at Off Broadway Travel today. They told me about the challenges they’ve faced as a business over the past year and a half.

“As we unlock domestically, and take some first steps towards flying internationally again, I want to make sure I’m best representing all parts of the transport sector.”