The president of the Scottish Passenger Agents Association (SPAA) has called for industry-wide investment in training to attract talent to the travel industry amid a staffing crisis.
Joanne Dooey was speaking on a Travel Weekly webcast filmed ahead of the SPAA’s centenary awards this evening (Thursday, December 9).
She said the SPAA, which has 120 members and 92 associate members, is looking into how it can help attract talent to travel agency roles. Her own business, three-branch agency Love To Travel, has been looking outside the industry as many experienced travel agents have sought career changes during Covid.
Dooey said: “I’ve lost some really good people that I did not want to lose from my business. It’s down to the stress that we’re going through with all the chopping and changing, worrying about ‘have I told that customer the right information’ and all the forms they have to fill in. There were people saying, ‘I just can’t take the stress anymore’, and walking away.
“Obviously, we know the travel industry hasn’t always been renowned for being very highly paid. But we made up with all the benefits and lots of trips and lovely experiences that we get. And because that’s maybe not been happening, people are going and working in Asda.”
Dooey said she hoped the return of perks such as fam trips and awards evenings such as the SPAA’s event tonight will help encourage more people to work in the industry
“I know how excited my girls, coming to these [SPAA] awards, getting dressed up and coming to see all the friends have not seen for a long time and some really good entertainment. Things like that really do help. There isn’t a lot of industries that do have the amazing events that we have.
“I know there’s been people saying we shouldn’t be having awards for the industries, and it’s unfair when people haven’t got jobs. But there’s lots of jobs out there now, and people that were in the industry choosing not to come back in.
“We really need to push to bring new people into the industry and support them. I’m looking at bringing some people that have never worked in travel but have got the skills that we need that are transferable to come into the travel trade and have had lots of success in previous jobs because there are some people now that have left [the industry] that don’t want to come back.”
She said training is “something that really needs to get looked at” and warned there “aren’t as many travel training companies as there used to be.
“We need to invest quite a bit in as an industry and it’s something I know the SPAA are looking out as well as we can help to bring some new people in with a sort of training like the academy.”
About 400 people are due to attend the SPAA Awards this evening though Dooey admitted “it has been a bit hectic” with some drop-outs due to concerns over the spread of the Omicron variant.
She pointed out: “The legislation up in Scotland hasn’t really changed, because we have always been wearing masks when we’re in shops and bars until we sit down and get a drink or a meal. So it’s going ahead, and it will be a great night.”
“This is our centenary year so it’s a bit of a different awards evening. We’re not just recognising people over the past year or so, we’re recognising people that have really supported the SPAA throughout the whole journey of the award ceremony.”
Dooey promised “some surprises” and said: “It’s important that people do get recognised for the great work that they’ve been doing over the years.”