OPINION


WORDS ADRIAN PARKES


the deal which both she and the EU said couldn’t be changed. My expectation for our sector, and the wider economy, is that by the time this is published we will have a clearer steer ahead of 29 March. Here’s to hoping! In our attempt to understand Brexit and its implications, we hear on the news about all sorts of tactics, negotiations and behind-the-scenes manoeuvres and, while it seems very confusing, it also reveals a bigger underlying issue: an apparent lack of understanding of the damage the uncertainty surrounding a final outcome is causing businesses. Whatever the outcome, we are constantly hearing that managing the result will be easier to deal with than managing the unknown. While the


D


political machinations continue, industry has


EADLINES MEAN I’m coming to you as the PM heads back and forth to Brussels for yet more discussions on changing


BUSINESS AS USUAL


Whatever happens with Brexit, the


business travel industry will manage uncertainty as it has always done


been left to muddle on. The government’s own guidance notes issued to industry continually commit to seeing a Withdrawal Deal agreed and an ambitious future trading relationship with the EU delivered. However, this future partnership means different things to different politicians, with some Parliamentarians championing close involvement in the Single Market post-Brexit, while other, more Eurosceptic, MPs would prefer to see a hard separation, and while there is no majority in Parliament for a no-deal scenario, nor is there currently a consensus on the best way forward.


Our Industry Leaders


Lunch forum, hosted at the end of January, had many members asking speaker Steve Richards, writer and political


broadcaster, what


seems to


be on everyone’s minds: what’s going to happen? Apart from assuming


Brexit’s departure from the EU would be delayed beyond 29 March, Steve could only


130 MARCH/APRIL 2019


hypothesise based on his own unique insight to the political world of Westminster. The answer was, much like our politicians, nobody knows. So it will be business as usual, managing uncertainty. The ongoing confusion has meant all manner of scare stories in recent months. A flick back through the papers tells us that a no-deal scenario could, at least in the short-term,


GTMC MEMBERS


HAVE BEEN UPDATING CRISIS PLANS AND GEARING UP TO MANAGE THE FALL-OUT


deliver “minimum access” to EU aviation markets, visas for European travel and horrible queues at UK passport control. It all sounds and feels grim. Despite the visible uncertainty, I can’t help but feel amazed by the levels of professionalism the business travel industry has been demonstrating. TMCs have been striving to keep corporate customers aware of what Brexit’s impact may be. That is no small feat as they continue to do so with very little guidance from higher powers. Yet again, TMCs rise to the


occasion and show why they’re so valuable to clients: they deal with the unexpected often and they deal with it very well. Despite the climate of uncertainty, Brexit is another chance for our sector to shine. Across the country I have been hearing how GTMC members have been updating crisis plans and gearing up to manage the fall-out if the nation departs Europe in a disorderly fashion. And when the dust has settled, we should also remember that TMCs will still be needed in the future. UK businesses will still want to travel, and if the politicians are right, these travellers could be heading off to do deals in new parts of the world. Opportunities reveal themselves in even the most unlikely and difficult circumstances. All that is left is to wish you all a safe and successful Brexit. Good luck.


Adrian Parkes is chief executive of the GTMC, which represents travel management companies (gtmc.org)


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