Trading this winter could hinge on the government’s stance on travel advice to the Canary Islands, the boss of easyJet holidays has warned.
Currently, the operator has all destinations on sale from September 1 but it plans to review this on a “daily and weekly basis”, said chief executive Garry Wilson, speaking on a Travel Weekly webcast.
Wilson said there was a “conversation to be had” at government level about the Canaries, one of the UK’s largest winter sun destinations.
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Since July 27, the Foreign Office has advised against all non-essential travel to Spain, including the Canary Islands, based on its assessment of the current Covid-19 risks in the destination.
EasyJet is lobbying government to introduce more regional travel advice for overseas travel and a more ‘joined-up’ approach, working with the travel industry, said Wilson.
He said: “We are still pushing government to take a regional approach as it has in the UK.
“If you look at the Canary Islands, the infection rates are extra low compared to the epicentre and to the UK.
“It’s all about the Canaries this winter and it really depends on what the government does on [travel] advice. The dialogue is continual. There needs to be more nuanced advice to make the most of what is left this year. It’s really going to impact terribly on some travel companies.”
Wilson said the autumn and winter of this year were currently “the big unknown” with blanket travel bans on destinations only serving to “heighten the uncertainty” felt by the general public.
He added: “Hotels and destinations would tend to shut up shop in October. I think the focus should be on getting September away and then winter.
“The airline is continuing to fly to Portugal and Spain and we can flex our capacity up and down accordingly but I think the winter may be difficult.”
The ability to quickly adjust capacity would help should a second wave hit. He said: “We will not have to force unprofitable capacity into the market.”