p6 news May1 29/4/09 22:03 Page 6
news swine flu outbreak
ttglive.com
Agents criticise
Mexico eyewitness
Keith Betton,
PR consultant and
former Abta head of
corporate affairs
‘poor’ response
They say lightning
doesn’t strike you twice.
Well, in 2003 I was travelling between
Japan and Taiwan at the exact point when
Sars reached epidemic proportions in Taipei.
Martin Ferguson.
She said a number of her customers had Now I am in Mexico at the time when
OPERATORS faced criticism this week about a decided to follow Foreign Office guidelines and swine flu becomes an epidemic.
lack of communication with agents over the avoid Mexico. Mexico City, normally a noisy bustling
Mexican swine flu crisis. Matthews added that among her clients, metropolis of 20 million people, is now a
And there are fears the virus will damage an a double wedding party had rebooked to place where you can hear a pin drop.
increasingly lucrative winter market for the UK Antigua, one couple switched their travel plans In a city where every week people are
trade, which has bolstered revenues at a time to Egypt, and another party cancelled its trip gunned down in drug-related battles, these
when most travel firms make losses. altogether. people are, for once, very scared.
So far this year holidays to Mexico have But FTO director-general Andy Cooper said I’m currently in the region of Chiapas,
generated £12 million more in revenue than for the situation was dealt with professionally. some 600 miles from Mexico City. A few
the same period in 2008, according to market “It was a rapidly developing situation and no people are wearing face masks, but every-
intelligence company GfK Ascent MI. one could have predicted what was going to one is going about their daily lives normally.
Amanda Matthews, director of Designer happen,” he said. On Saturday I fly home. I expect to be
Travel, said agents appreciated the pressures on “It was unclear whether the problem would interviewed by doctors here and on arrival
operators but criticised their response. be contained or would spread. So operators are at Heathrow. Instead of calling in on my
“We understand that it’s all hands on deck at naturally considering the short term when they 86-year-old mum, I’ll delay that for a week.
times like these,” she said. respond to agents.” There is a focal point of a problem which
“But is there really no alternative to calling Cooper said the biggest challenge was is relatively severe, but elsewhere it is calm.
an 0870 number and having to hold for an dealing with customers wanting to cancel However, it is right for tour operators to be
hour and a half, only to be told no decisions have holidays booked later in the year. careful not to expose their clients to risk.
been made and to call back? “People were demanding answers before the If you do have clients coming to Mexico,
“Operators must come up with a slicker operators could get a handle on what was going advise them to buy face masks in advance.
system, whether it’s email, text or whatever. on,” he said. But I suspect, like most epidemics, this
“It is frustrating, time-consuming, expensive one will be long forgotten in a few weeks.
and ultimately poor customer service.” ■ For the latest flu news, go to
ttglive.com
Swine flu: travel update Tucan cancels
tours until July■ British Airways is continuing to
operate all its services between the
UK and Mexico, as is Mexican THE SWINE flu crisis is likely to dent consumer
carrier Mexicana confidence in Mexico, according to a Latin
■ European airlines, including Air America specialist.
France-KLM, Lufthansa and Iberia, Bec Whiffin, general manager of Tucan Tours,
are also operating normal services said: “It’s very bad news for the industry. It will
■ Princess Cruises has suspended all damage confidence and bookings will drop.”
calls in Mexico until the end of May Two Tucan tour groups were in Mexico on
■ Royal Caribbean and Fred Olsen will Monday when the World Health Organisation
also avoid calls at Mexican ports announced the spread of the virus was nearing
until further notice pandemic levels.
■ Carnival has suspended calls in Whiffin decided to pull them out of Mexico as
Mexico until May 4 soon as the Foreign Office advised against all but
■ Thomas Cook Holidays and First essential travel to the country.
Choice have suspended all holidays Whiffin has cancelled all tours in Mexico until
to Mexico until May 8 July, affecting 75 of her customers.
■ Thomas Cook cancelled all its flights “It was the right decision. But if all 75 decide
from the UK to Mexico for seven to cancel and do not book an alternative it will
Photos
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days from April 29 seriously affect our revenue,” she said.
06 01.05.2009
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