Recovery won’t be rapid – Tanzer Ian Taylor


Abta chief Mark Tanzer welcomed the end of quarantine restrictions to most popular destinations but warned lack of consumer confidence could prevent “a rapid bounce-back”. Tanzer said: “We’re heading in


the right direction, but it’s a very uncertain future. There is an issue of consumer confidence. I don’t think it’s just to do with quarantine. There is wariness about travel within the UK, let alone overseas, and the industry needs to recognise that. “You see countries where Covid


had died down and comes back, and that will create nervousness. That is probably the biggest uncertainty. “There seems a lot of pent-up demand for travel. You saw how


people were desperate to get out when we had some good weather. The demand is there, but I don’t think it will be a rapid bounce-back.” Speaking on a Travel Weekly


Roadmap to Recovery webcast, the Abta chief executive hailed the relaxation of restrictions as “a very welcome step into the recovery phase for the industry”, adding: “We’re anxious to see the market open up.” But he warned: “This is a moving


target. If our infection rates go up, you could see countries putting restrictions on us.” Tanzer insisted: “The way


quarantine was introduced wasn’t ideal. [But] the biggest impediment has been the FCO advice against all but essential travel. Quarantine probably hasn’t had as big an impact.” He said Abta had “been in close


Agents’ plea to operators: Bring back more staff


Juliet Dennis


Agents have urged operators to bring staff back off furlough to end long wait times to service bookings. Retailers said they had regularly


been on hold for hours to speak to operator staff, with demand having increased since the government’s announcement of its ‘Covid travel list’ last week. The Coronavirus Job Retention


Scheme has allowed employees to be brought back part-time on a weekly basis since July 1.


6 9 JULY 2020 Inspired Travel owner Kate


Harris, who said she spent five hours on hold to one operator, said the waits were causing agents huge stress and making her reassess which operators she used. She said: “I am sick to the back


teeth of being told by operators ‘it is unprecedented times’. Who is paying the bill while I’m holding on to speak to someone for two or three hours?” Speaking on a Travel Weekly


webcast, Designer Travel managing director Amanda Matthews said: “A lot of suppliers need to now resource-


up. Sending an email and waiting four hours for a response is not acceptable. Waiting on the phone for an hour is not acceptable.” She added: “We’re always saying


‘use an agent’. Now, we’re made to look unprofessional and like we’re taking hours to do things when actually we have our hands tied.” Miles Morgan Travel chairman


Miles Morgan said waiting for two hours on the phone, on a premium rate number, to speak to a supplier had become “the norm”.


“This is happening for thousands


of agents,” he said. “It’s twice as bad or more than normal.” He urged suppliers to “invest a


little in their future”, adding: “Many of my staff are frustrated that so many suppliers are not open on Saturday.” Dorking Travel owner Alistair


McLean warned bookings would be lost if operators did not take heed. “We have an opportunity to take


travel forward but if [suppliers] don’t have the staff it will all fall by the wayside,” he said.


travelweekly.co.uk


discussion with various government departments” to encourage a move away from blanket advice to “more of a risk-based approach” and expressed “a certain sympathy” for the government following its delay in publishing the list of countries exempt from UK restrictions. Tanzer said: “It’s complicated and


Watch the interview with Abta chief Mark Tanzer at


go.travelweekly.co.uk/webcasts


the data is moving. But behind the scenes there has been a lot of work measuring countries, not just on their infection rate but what public health facilities they have. Countries will come on to the green list. Countries could move off it. This is part of how we’re going to have to manage travel.” However, he said: “If we can keep the travel corridors open we can have


a summer season.” i T


ravel Weekly webcasts, page 10 i Consumer surveys: Business, back page


Alistair McLean


Lucy Huxley


Miles Morgan


Amanda Matthews


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