The wonder of travel has never been stronger, says Trafalgar chief executive Gavin Tollman
Travel has always been a remarkable gift: the opportunity to venture out and explore the world, discovering new cultures, customs, people and places, celebrating the freedom of movement.
Never have we felt the value of this gift more than now. After almost two years of restrictions to our mobility, people are starting to venture out once again. The desire for connection to people and places through the wonder of travel has never been stronger.
And we can do it safely if we act responsively and collectively, taming the virus into a post-pandemic, manageable status.
I have seen firsthand that we can live with the virus. Across numerous Travel Corporation brands, including Trafalgar, we have been successfully operating trips domestically and internationally for the larger part of the northern hemisphere summer.
Our innovations in guest wellbeing have made it possible for us to safely showcase the beauty of people and places that travellers have longed to see again. Our vaccinated guests, our travel directors, our wellbeing directors and people and places we visit have become trusted partners, sharing the joy of exploring the world again.
We firmly believe a world of safe travel is possible, now. We cautiously reopened, knowing how important safe travel was to not only the lives of travellers but the livelihoods of those in the industry, including the locals in the communities we visit. Our efforts were not naïve, nor were they in vain.
What we discovered was that, with vaccines and protocols, the first semblance of a return to a life with confidence in wellness, and the pleasures we seek, can be achieved.
We have always put guest safety first, but we’re also cognisant that guests get the seamless and enjoyable experience they have become accustomed to.
This need has led us to, from today (September 1), institute a Covid-19 vaccination requirement for all adult guests travelling with our TTC guided brands.
Under the new policy, adult travellers will need to show documented proof of having received an approved full Covid-19 vaccination at least 14 days prior to the start of their trip.
The policy will run until at least December 31 2022, and I urge other operators to follow suit and introduce similar protocols.
Getting guests travelling again safely, and seamlessly, should be the main priority to build back momentum for the travel sector.
The travel sector continues to face up to a harsh reality. We are currently experiencing approximately 25% of guests cancelling their 2021 travel dreams at the last minute. Their heartache is palpable. Their frustration understandable. As is that of those who are now also delaying their 2022 dreams.
The crisis of the past two years, with its global grounding to travel, brought to an abrupt halt the remarkable rates of movement and momentum of our industry.
Pre-pandemic, we saw year after year of growth in not only traveller numbers, but in travel-related jobs. Then came 2020. It was due to be a year in which we all celebrated our industry seeing over two billion travellers crossing international borders.
We at TTC were looking forward to celebrating our centenary. Instead, at the peak of the global pandemic we saw the closure of 100% of international borders and the loss of more than 100 million travel and tourism jobs. The devastation to the industry has been beyond imagination, and in some cases, even calculation.
Now there is a risk of a repeat. After months and months since our world was gripped by the pandemic, with millions of losses of lives and livelihoods later, we are once again reading about hospitals reaching breaking point. Curves are spiking, virus strains are strengthening, cases are spreading. This time the people at greatest risk of spread and suffering are the under-50s and breakthrough infections.
With every passing day we appear to be heading towards a fourth wave. But, this time, it was avoidable. Why the resurgence of risk? Of restrictions? Not enough people have been vaccinated, and not enough people are wearing masks.
This completely unnecessary latest wave of Covid that is spreading across the globe has me angry and frustrated as I know it could have been avoided. The dangerous minority voice of anti-vaxxers, the indecision of the vaccine procrastinators and actions of anti-maskers, are putting others at serious risk and crippling the recovery of businesses and communities.
I fundamentally struggle to comprehend how we have reached this point as a global community. We literally have had a choice between safety and spread. Between freedom and fear. Between responsibility and selfishness. Millions sadly continue to choose to spread, fear and selfishness.
There will be no Covid-free world. Like the common flu, we will live with Covid as part of our lives. It need not, however, be the deadly pandemic we have experienced these past almost two years.
We know that the concept of a post-pandemic world is one still far off. We must not, however, stop living until such time as the pandemic is a thing of the past.
Likewise, confusion is being caused by the lack of government leadership with their often-impulsive rules and regulations, their dithering and playing with arbitrary, unpredictable and constantly changing policies. This is choking tourism and leaving businesses struggling to work out who can do what and go where. This untrustworthy leadership is severely restricting economic, social and mental health of nations.
I have seen the impact, the enormity of the stress on individuals – emotionally and financially. The longer this continues, the result will be unsalvageable damage to both lives and livelihoods, ultimately a crippling of human tenacity and spirit.
Please do not think I do not respect the virus. Quite the opposite. I have seen first-hand that Covid kills, and kills young. Yet a minority of too many are not taking it seriously, feeling bold in their false sense of security in being young, being strong, being able to get through it if they get it. I am astonished that the estimate of the current 4,500,000 souls lost isn’t enough of a red flag.
It is all about choice – taking personal responsibility for doing what is needed for the greater good of the global community so we can all resume safe, secure, socially enriched living.
When anyone rejects their vaccine or refuses to wear a mask, they’re increasing the risk of others catching a potentially deadly or disabling disease as well as prolonging the social and economic costs of the pandemic. If they have cultural or ideological reasons, they should simply be excluded from participating in greater society. The remaining, irresponsible, minority which chooses to selfishly reject vaccines and protocols are depriving the rest of us of living life, freedom and our pursuit of happiness.
Only when the world is adequately vaccinated will we find our ‘new normal’. Vaccines have the proven ability to save lives, restart economies, and meaningfully rebuild the travel industry.
I am currently in France, and I have seen how electronic vaccine passports and masks, where necessary, can work. I can now see that, with them, we will be able to ease travel restrictions.
Vaccines are the route to getting all of us safely out again, travelling freely, living fully. Living in a sustained state of a pandemic is nonsensical. Right here, right now, we have a choice. This time it’s in humanities hands. So, let’s do the right thing, for ourselves, for each other.