The end of the furlough scheme on Thursday (September 30) is the number-one concern for 40% of Advantage Travel Partnership members.
The finding came from a poll among the consortium’s members, taken ahead of the final day of the government’s Coronavirus Job Retention scheme, which has supplemented staff wages during the pandemic.
The consortium’s survey found that 12% of members said they will be forced to make redundancies and only a third can bring back all of their staff on regular hours.
More than half (57%) have agreed a continuation of reduced hours and pay to remain for the foreseeable future.
One fifth of members said the complexities around travel restrictions are the biggest issue they are facing right now, with 14% citing lack of dedicated sector support.
More: End of furlough ‘spells disaster’ for travel trade, union warns
Travel sector battles to stave off end-of-furlough redundancies
Julia Lo Bue-Said, chief executive at the Advantage Travel Partnership, said: “Furlough ending is a major blow for many travel agents who have only been able to survive the impact of the pandemic by making use of the scheme.
“If the British government wants to cut the industry adrift like this, they must make the trading environment conducive to success not failure.
“We are still dealing with an incredibly complex and restrictive system which does not allow for businesses to trade into recovery.”
She added: “We urge government to go further than the changes made earlier this month.
“Scrap the red list altogether, scrap the ineffective testing requirements and let us get on with the business of travel.
“Neither the red list nor the testing policy have any data-led public health justification to continue.
“It’s time to get real and admit these policies are pure PR, and further barriers to our recovery as an industry.”
Other trade bodies, including Abta and Aito, along with the TSSA union, have also warned that travel trade staff face redundancies as furlough ends – and echoed Advantage’s call for tailored support.
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