This week Travel Weekly hosted the prestigious Globe Travel Awards and the event was another great success.
It was fantastic to be on stage and able to see the reaction of the winners as they rushed up to collect their trophies and meet our amazing host Jack Whitehall.
One of the winners on the night was Kuoni, demonstrating the high regard in which it is held by many in the trade.
Of course, the win will have been particularly satisfying given the shock announcement just a day earlier that its Swiss-based owner was planning to sell all its tour operations.
Agent support will be more crucial now than ever in what will undoubtedly be a period of uncertainty while a buyer is sought.
The shock news about Kuoni wasn’t the only big story emanating from Switzerland this week, with the Swiss franc spiking following the government’s decision to stop pegging its value against the euro.
While the two stories aren’t related, both will have an impact on the UK travel industry and both go to prove there’s never a dull moment in this sector.
Constant change is obviously unsettling, but the travel industry has demonstrated time and again that it is capable of coping with even the most unpredictable events.
The start to the year appears to have been mixed for many companies, with anecdotal evidence of record sales days tempered by broader statistics suggesting the peaks have yet to really catch fire.
Kuoni won’t be the only company hoping that agent support – and consumer confidence – will hold firm in the weeks ahead.