FUTURE SPRING FORUM


P&O to require vaccination proof for its UK sailings


Phil Davies


P&O Cruises will require passengers to be vaccinated before embarking on its series of UK coastal cruises this summer. The requirement was disclosed


as the line outlined domestic Ultimate Escape departures from


Southampton on new ship Iona and Britannia from June to September. Passengers of any age can


book but must have had a second vaccine dose at least seven days before boarding and provide proof, including dates, at the terminal. Travel insurance will also be


mandatory. Crew will undergo “a strict testing and quarantine regime”. Social distancing and face masks


will be required in certain areas of the ships, along with “enhanced sanitation measures”. The line said: “Our primary focus


is always to protect the health and wellbeing of our crew, guests and the communities we visit.” Saga reported “overwhelming”


support for a vaccine requirement policy it unveiled in January and Virgin Voyages this week announced a similar stance on vaccinations. P&O’s announcement follows


government confirmation last week


that domestic cruises can begin at the same time as indoor hospitality, which could be as early as May 17. All other P&O holidays do not


require guests to be vaccinated, the line clarified, also stressing “protocols are subject to change”. Speaking during the Travel Weekly


Future of Travel Spring Forum, Simon Palethorpe, president of P&O and Cunard parent Carnival UK, said the measures “make this a safe holiday but nonetheless still an amazing holiday.”


Iona will sail from Southampton this summer; left, Simon Palethorpe


Fred Olsen Cruise Lines and


Viking Cruises were the latest lines to announce domestic UK cruises this week. Neither line stipulated a requirement for guests to be vaccinated, but Viking said PCR


testing would be mandatory. i P&O ship Arvia, page 16


Watch the Future of Travel cruise session at:


go.travelweekly.co.uk/ SpringForum2


Tui recalls 800 staff to closed shops Juliet Dennis


Tui has brought back around 800 staff to work behind closed doors at its high street shops following higher-than-expected demand since the roadmap announcement. Travel agency staff were put on


furlough when the third lockdown forced Tui to shut all its 362 shops in January. It currently has 1,400 staff working in retail – 800 at its shops and 600 from home. In total, 1,700 staff remain on furlough. Speaking at the Travel Weekly


Future of Travel Spring Forum, Tui UK managing director Andrew Flintham said the firm had struggled to cope with the surge in enquiries since February 22.


travelweekly.co.uk He said: “What we saw was a


spike in demand and service queries that we couldn’t manage. We weren’t expecting that pleasant surprise.” Staff are back in shops to take


calls and work on queries and bookings, although doors remain shut to the public. Flintham said Tui’s stores would


reopen in line with other non- essential shops on April 12, the current date set by the government, but did not rule out future changes to the size of the retail network. The company shut 166 Tui shops


last year, affecting 900 roles. Of these, 50% moved to a newly created homeworking sales and service team. This will be retained post-pandemic. Flintham insisted shops remained


Tui aims to reopen stores on April 12


the “best place” for customers to sort out any problems or ask advice, but added: “We will still have a large homeworking team. “That’s fundamental for us


going forward, not a one-off for the


pandemic. It’s a hybrid model.” He said it was a case of “wait


and see” in terms of changes to customers’ shopping behaviour, but stressed: “We’ve got a really flexible approach. If we decided we needed less shops in the future, we’d more than likely need that workforce to deliver in a different way. “We’re still planning on having


the same number of customers.” Flintham added that sales of


Tui products through third-party agents had held up “at least as well” and in some cases “slightly better than our own retail”. Distribution through third-party agents remained “relatively small” for Tui but “disproportionately important on certain products and areas”, he said.


18 MARCH 2021 7


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