Travel agents have called for more support and recognition from the government after “bailing out” the industry in the current crisis.
Agents told a Travel Weekly Webcast it had been their staff at the end of phone lines trying to help worried and frustrated holidaymakers during the Covid-19 pandemic, while tour operators and airlines had shut down their phone systems and could not be easily contacted.
For many agents this meant working 16 and 17 hour days at the start of the UK lockdown to deal with a deluge of calls from clients about their holiday bookings.
The Travel Village Group chief executive Phil Nuttall said: “We have bailed out so many tour operators. Agents who have kept their phone lines open have bailed everyone out.
“The only people consumers have got to vent [their anger] on is us. We have done an incredible job yet again; we have been social workers.”
He said the government needed to show it recognised and valued travel agents to help them survive in the future.
Nuttall added: “For once we need someone to come and support us. The government has not been particularly helpful throughout this crisis for the travel industry. It does make you worry, but I do feel there is always going to be tremendous value in good travel agents.
“If government doesn’t get to grips with the travel industry and understand the value of travel agents, and help us and support us on this journey, then it’s going to be really tough.”
Agents said the government’s decision to impose a quarantine was an immediate problem agents faced as it prevented clients booking holidays for this summer.
Rob Kenton, managing director of Triangle Travel, said no clients would book trips while the current quarantine was in place. “The demand is there. If the government had announced air bridges at the same time as quarantine it would make sense,” he said.
He added: “There are so many unanswered questions around quarantine and insurance. We should have more direction from the government; what’s the plan with these air bridges? Are they going to happen?”
Helen Dooley, partner of More Travel, said it was unclear what financial protection would be in place for holidays cancelled because of the quarantine, particularly if flights were operating and hotels were open, which would mean refunds were not applicable.
“Who will be responsible, who will cover it? Insurance companies seem to have got off scot-free,” she said.
She called for the industry to have a more “cohesive voice” to lobby government. “Abta wears two hats [traevel agents and tour operators]. We need a cohesive voice representing all agents to lobby government,” she added.
