Travel will prevail because of its people A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
We are now two weeks on from the Foreign Office’s decision to advise against all international travel and, as I write this on Tuesday afternoon, calls for relaxation of the Package Travel
Regulations have still yet to be answered. The passing of the two weeks is significant, as we are now entering a point where travel companies fall en masse beyond the 14-day window for fulfilling refunds on cancellations. The ongoing uncertainty is one of the major challenges facing the industry and looks set to intensify with
the threat of a spate of credit card chargebacks now looming (page 5). But hopes for government intervention to provide clarity and relief for agents and their clients appear to be fading the longer we wait. While the issue of refunds is clearly still the burning issue for many
readers, they are also having to make some fundamental changes to the way they do business to save jobs and ride out this crisis. Speaking to agents and operators during video panels for
travelweekly.co.uk, it was fascinating to get an insight into the steps they are taking and the challenges they face. Our conversations reminded me once again of the incredible people within our industry, their genuine affection for their customers, and their commitment to their staff and the communities they serve. As we report this week, there is no certainty about when a
bounce-back may happen (page 7), but it will be this sense of community within businesses and with customers that will be needed more than ever when it does.
WHAT LUCY DID THIS WEEK
Hosted three of our new video webcasts:
O A one-to-one interview with Abta CEO Mark Tanzer
OThe latest news and views from Kuoni CEO Derek Jones
OA special frontline agent discussion with Midcounties PTAs’ Helen Furlong, Swords Travel’s Mark Swords and Alex Tsirimiagos of TravelUp
Lucy Huxley, editor-in-chief, Travel Weekly Group CONTENTS
For the latest news and resources check out T
dedicated web pages
Latest news and updates
go.travelweekly.co.uk/ coronavirus
Resource Centre
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Good Deed Feed
go.travelweekly.co.uk/ gooddeedfeed
Kids’ Activity Packs
go.travelweekly.co.uk/ kidspacks
ravel Weekly’s NEWS
Agents plead for clarity over refunds 4 Credit card chargebacks
‘risk bringing travel companies down’
Self-employed agents welcome support 6 Trade employees ‘are essential workers’ 6 Operators plan for sales bounce-back 7 Industry steps up to help the NHS
The EC considers update to rules on airline refunds 5
4
comment Jacqueline Dobson: Collaborating with others will be key to recovery in this unprecedented crisis 10
8
FRONTLINE Spotlight From working from home to being furloughed and volunteering for the NHS, we find out how five agents are coping with the crisis 11
FOLLOW US:
travelweekly.co.uk @travelweekly
FRONTLINE Get Social
Refunds, credit, Advantage, Reuben’s 14 agent diary
David Walker: Do the best you can 15 your stories ‘I represent the Queen in the West Midlands’: Diamond Travel’s Beverly Lindsay 16
DESTINATIONS THE US
Washington: 8 of the best attractions 22 Las Vegas: Classic vibes on Fremont St 27 food and drink
Savannah: Go with the flow in the ‘Moon River’ city of Georgia
18
Around the World: Seven divine dishes 28 Israel: Q&A with food writer Ori Shavit 32
BUSINESS NEWS
Virgin seeks loan; ‘nationalise Flybe’ 36 IAG and Tui gain credit; ‘75m jobs risk’ 37 Airlines lobby harder for state support 38
travelweeklyuk @travelweeklyuk 2 APRIL 2020 3
For these and more videos, visit
travelweekly.co.uk
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