Crisis tests strength of trade partnerships A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
Talking to many of you across the industry last week, it was clear Easter could not come soon enough. Few were able to truly switch off, but most told me they simply had to take advantage of the bank holiday to grab some respite and make time for family and friends for the first time in many brutal weeks. As agent Simon Oram of The Travel Shop said in a post on Travel
Gossip’s Facebook page at the weekend, everyone has been in desperate need of a break “from constant admin, with no revenue”. The post garnered almost 1,000 ‘likes’. This unprecedented crisis is putting a strain on every individual and
every business, and there is widespread recognition that our industry will not be quick to recover.
The relentless pressure is taking its toll in multiple ways, and we cover a few of these in this
issue. The description of agents as ‘on the frontline’ has proved too true for many encountering mounting anger and frustration from customers as they continue to await action from the government (pages 4 and 5). Fractures are also appearing in long-standing relationships between suppliers and agents, who will be taking note of the treatment they receive as they plan for the future (page 4). In better days, I have often used this column to hail the strength of partnerships in the sector. Never have these partnerships been more needed.
WHAT LUCY DID THIS WEEK
OConducted more webcasts, including one with the UK and Europe leaders of MSC, Princess Cruises and Silversea.
O Caught up with Jacqueline Dobson of Barrhead Travel, Trevor Davis of Spear Travels and Jeanne Lally of The Travel Bureau to hear how variously sized agencies have been coping in the crisis.
Lucy Huxley, editor-in-chief, Travel Weekly Group CONTENTS
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T ravel Weekly’s NEWS
Agents make note of unhelpful suppliers 4 Abta issues refund notes guidance
4
Angry customers reduce agents to tears 5 Soft marketing messages ‘hit right tone’ 6 Royal’s Fain spies ‘glimmers’ of recovery 7 Virus-hit agent’s booking; good deeds 8 Key points from Travel Weekly webcasts 10 Comment Debbie Marshall: Demand will return 12 Special reports Agency law: Travlaw’s Matt Gatenby warns agents not to overstep their legal remit
FRONTLINE Agent diary
Kim Kent: Learning from my colleagues 18 your stories
Lisa Weakley, Global Independent TC 19 Get Social Chargebacks, staffing, P&O, Antrobus 20
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26 15 Marketing advice from experts at Melt 16
Australasia Kangaroo Island: The South Australia isle is bouncing back after the wildfires 28 New Zealand: Sail a real America’s Cup yacht in Auckland harbour. Tack! 32
BUSINESS NEWS ‘Expect sharp recovery’; China hotels 34 Travlaw’s Krystene Bousfield spells out differences between chargebacks and ‘Section 75’ 35
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Abta reveals Refund Credit Note rules 36 @travelweeklyuk
16 APRIL 2020 3
OMade Pizza Express dough balls with the kids after the chain released its ‘secret’ recipe. Amazing!
COVER PICTURE: Shutterstock
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