The vast majority of travel agents polled by agency group Target – Travel Agents Reform Group Engaged Together – have vowed to keep their premises open.
Target surveyed agents on its Facebook page on Thursday, following an announcement on Wednesday evening (December 8) by prime minister Boris Johnson that people should work from home from Monday December 13 “if they can”.
A total of 111 agents replied to Target’s poll, with just five saying they would close the shop/office and working from home.
A further six said they would adopt a hybrid model of keeping the shop/office open with some staff working from home.
The vast majority – 100 respondents – said they were keeping shops and offices open and fully staffed.
Graeme Brett (Westoe Travel), co-founder of Target, said: “The feedback is that agents need to be available to assist customers who are already booked, with information on testing, Passenger Locator Forms and other requirements and most say that this is virtually impossible to do from home.”
Jill Waite (Pole Travel), the other co-founder of Target, added: “Many agents are totally fed up with the constant rule changes and the sheer stupidity that government suggests they work from home but then they can go to a pub, restaurant or football match in the evening with their workmates.
“The government are destroying the travel industry and everyone’s morale is so low now after the slight recovery in October and November.
“We will be staying open to assist our customers as they need our help and guidance more than ever.”
Peter Cookson, managing director and co-owner of Spear Travels, commented on the poll, saying: “We are staying open as normal, full staff, full days, full hours.”
Their sentiments echo those of other travel bosses who have vowed to defy the work-from-home advice outlined in the government’s Plan B.
And speaking on a Travel Weekly webcast, Scottish Passenger Agents’ Association president Joanne Dooey said she would not be asking staff to work from home at her three Love To Travel branches.
She said: “We have lost a lot of really good people from the industry and I think a big part of that was working from home.
“People couldn’t cope with working from home, they’re used to working in shops and seeing people come through the door, their friends, their customers. I don’t want to go back to that.
“As a retailer, on the high street, customers like to see you because then it gets that message across that ‘all right, we can travel because the travel agents are still open’.
“I understand that, for some people, it does suit their business – but it doesn’t suit us as retailers.
“I’ve got three shops and they’re open. I have opened as soon as I could on every occasion.
She admitted “there have been occasions when there hasn’t been a lot of footfall” but said “the girls enjoy working together, they’re motivating each other, can work together doing training and things when they are quiet”.
“I think it’s important that we do open and I will not be closing my doors if I can keep them opened,” she said.
Anger has been triggered amid allegations over Downing Street Christmas parties during Covid restrictions last year.
Picture by Willy Barton/shutterstock.com
More: Travel bosses vow to defy Plan B working from home advice