Whitehall shouldn’t give with one hand and take with the other, says Travel Weekly editor-in-chief Lucy Huxley
It was fantastic to see Clia UK & Ireland director Andy Harmer awarded an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours for his services to the maritime sector and the pivotal role he played in the restart of the UK cruise industry.
It’s a remarkable achievement for Andy personally and for the cruise sector as a whole to go from being in the eye of the Covid storm in March 2020 to being recognised as a crucial contributor to the economy. But such recognition is bittersweet coming in the same week as the government suggested the travel industry at large is to blame for the disruption at airports over the Jubilee. The transport minister, showing no understanding of our sector, accused the industry of not being ready for the bank holiday and The Times even suggested agents had acted fraudulently by selling holidays ‘that were never going to happen’.
Yes, there have been problems – ones the government played a key role in creating by shutting the industry down, providing no sector-specific support, then reopening travel with barely any notice. It’s no wonder the industry feels undermined and let down by Shapps and co.
As Jet2holidays chief Steve Heapy said on a Travel Weekly webcast, it was the government that made travel an undesirable career, leaving a severe staff shortage across the entire industry.
The recognition of Andy and the cruise sector is hugely deserved, but Whitehall shouldn’t give with one hand and take with the other. Boris Johnson may have survived this week’s vote of confidence, but his government needs to stop industry-bashing and offer support.