Comment: United in hope for peace

The images and footage emerging from Ukraine this week have been both shocking and saddening.

In times of suffering like this, it feels somehow inconsequential to think about the impact on people’s holiday habits.

Yet beyond the significant implications for members of the UK travel industry already treading a delicate path to recovery following the Covid-19 pandemic, any curtailment of the sector's rebound will also have massive consequences for economies and millions of livelihoods reliant on tourism in the immediate region and beyond.

As Travel Weekly went to press this week, the situation remained uncertain and deeply concerning, and this uncertainty was reflected in feedback from operators and agents who painted a mixed picture of the effect on customer sentiment.

First and foremost, our thoughts are with the people of Ukraine and all those in our industry with friends, colleagues and families who are directly affected.

But as Tui chief executive Fritz Joussen said this week, it is also “legitimate and important” to consider how this growing crisis will impact operations, supply chains, consumer confidence and security.

As has been the case so often over the course of the past two years, the outbound and inbound sectors must contend with another unforeseen hurdle as they attempt to rediscover a semblance of progress.

And as with all these events which are beyond our control, the industry will be united in hoping the impact, both human and political, can be kept to a minimum and the peace and stability we have come to take for granted can be restored.