‘Portugal switch makes us fall guys’ Juliet Dennis


Agents have reacted angrily to again having to bring clients home early without the promised advance notice from government. The trade said leaked news of the


traffic light change for Portugal and Madeira was “totally out of the blue” and had led to a repeat of situations experienced last year with the travel corridor system. Advantage Travel Partnership


leisure director Kelly Cookes said: “This is exactly what we wanted to avoid and what the green watch list was supposed to prevent. “As before, the industry found out


at the same time as consumers, via the media, and this makes it much


harder to support customers, both those out in the destination and those due to travel imminently.” Miles Morgan Travel chairman


Miles Morgan said: “We are the fall guys. We managed to switch our customers’ flights but no one saw this coming.” Paul Hardwick, head of


commercial at Fred Olsen Travel, said the agency’s clients in resort were travelling back before the June 8 change but said staff had been busy on Friday contacting “multiple sets” of customers due to travel to Portugal. “In some cases this is the third or


fourth time we’ve amended the same booking,” he said. “All have asked to amend, with most opting for next year.” Polka Dot Travel director Mark


Demand drops off as confidence takes ‘massive hit’


Juliet Dennis


Demand for this summer has flattened and consumer confidence fallen further following Portugal’s removal from the green list, the trade reports. Agents said last week’s


government decision to switch Portugal to amber has hit existing summer bookings and new sales. Idle Travel director Tony Mann


told a Travel Weekly webcast: “It’s gone flat; the mood has changed.” Fred Olsen Travel and Polka


Dot Travel reported an immediate “drop-off” in sales.


6 10 JUNE 2021 “Even if countries are added to


the green list, the fear of them being withdrawn again at short notice will deter customers from booking for August and beyond at the moment,” said Paul Hardwick, head of commercial at Fred Olsen Travel. Jet2holidays pushed its restart


back from June 24 to July 1 following the news, with chief executive Steve Heapy warning consumer confidence in international travel had taken a “massive hit”. He said: “People just aren’t going to want to book.” Agents reported most consumers


were opting to amend bookings to 2022, rather than wait to see


if advice changes. Miles Morgan Travel chairman Miles Morgan warned amending “doesn’t solve the underlying problem of no cash”. The situation has fuelled further


fears about the key summer period. Advantage Travel Partnership


leisure director Kelly Cookes admitted there was now “a lot of concern”, adding: “It has driven a lot more questions and amendments.” Spear Travels chairman Peter


Cookson said summer 2021 was now “well and truly killed-off”, adding: “Why would anyone book to a green


country, let alone an amber country?” Mark Duguid, managing director


of tour operator Carrier, said he had put marketing activity on hold until he sees a “sustained period of stability and countries going in the right direction”. Morgan said the summer hinges


on the easing of domestic restrictions, currently planned for June 21.


Watch this and other T


ravel Weekly webcasts: go.travelweekly.co.uk/webcasts travelweekly.co.uk The traffic light


system was so travel could restart safely – [the government] has just ripped that up


Johnson said: “Agents are caught in a vicious circle that seems to never end. “They are constantly fielding calls


for people booked to travel but not in a position to quarantine. “The whole idea of the traffic light


system was so international travel could restart safely with everyone working together. “[The government] has just ripped all of that up and put it in the bin.”


Gemma Antrobus, owner of


Haslemere Travel, was similarly shocked but urged agents to target clients willing to travel to amber destinations, provided it was not against Foreign Office (FCDO) advice, instead of “navel-gazing”. Writing in this week’s Travel


Weekly, she said: “We need to make travelling to an amber destination seem far more straightforward than the government has deemed it to be. Normalising amber is the way forward.” Tate Travel owner Lee Tate


warned clients may rebel this summer by not quarantining when they return from amber destinations. “People


have got Covid-fatigue,” he said. i Gemma Antrobus: Comment, page 12


Mark Duguid


Travel Weekly’s Lucy Huxley


Tony Mann


Andrew Botterill


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