The Interview Clive Jacobs Jacobs Media Group
Travel needs to learn from the Covid crisis, Jacobs Media Group chairman Clive Jacobs tells Ian Taylor
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he Covid-19 pandemic will “transform the industry”, according to
&OLYHb-DFREV FKDLUPDQ of Travel Weekly parent company Jacobs Media Group. He said: “I’ve seen travel
become an essential part of our lives. Economically, it has made a difference to the world and helped many countries improve their income, particularly some of the poorest. So this is a tragedy. “It caught governments
completely by surprise. A crisis like this needs people who can be decisive, but we’ve seen a lack of decisiveness. When you’re indecisive and eventually make a decision, invariably it isn’t the best one. “This has to be treated seriously.
But there have been numerous misjudgements, not just by our government but by governments around the world. “Lockdown was too late and
1 OCTOBER 2020
didn’t include quarantine. Now we have quarantine and it has created dramatic uncertainty in travel and in confidence to fly or book. Why didn’t we have quarantine at the beginning? “The UK government is certainly
not unique. Countries that locked down hard are paying a price. Covid isn’t going to go away. We have to accept that, and the chance of a vaccine that is highly effective is pretty slim for some time. So we’ve got to learn to live with it. The efforts really should be on shielding the vulnerable and working out ways to live with this virus in the medium term.”
‘Change way we deal with client money’ Speaking during Travel Weekly’s Future of Travel Week, Jacobs said: “The government doesn’t really understand our industry. They don’t understand its overall contribution to GDP. They don’t understand outbound or inbound. They don’t understand if you don’t support outbound, you’re damaging inbound.
“One of the reasons they don’t
understand is that the industry talks with many voices. Frankly, even if everyone collectively took a rifle shot at the government, it would be a challenge. But when we’re so scattered in our approach, it’s like gnats biting an elephant. “The government will run to the
cause that causes them most grief in the press. When furlough ends and three million people hit the dole, most from hospitality or travel and associated industries, they will start to get the message. But the damage will be done. “One of the things the industry needs to learn from this is to work
more closely together. There are so many elements to our industry. We don’t have a powerful voice that is consistent and coherent [and] that has cost the industry. “We need to learn to communicate
better, more strategically with the government. There are too many cross conversations going on. “But the industry has also done
damage to itself, because certain businesses have not been refunding customers in the way they should. “If the industry wants to get back
credibility and confidence with clients, we need to change the way we deal with client money. “I built Holiday Autos on client
As an industry we have to lead the way. It’s no use waiting for the government. We need to set protocols and lead in terms of best
practice, not just for now but for the future
travelweekly.co.uk
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