Shops set cautious plans to reopen


Juliet Dennis


High street travel agencies have revealed cautious plans to reopen small numbers of stores in the next two months. South Wales miniple Tailor


Made Travel was the first to publicly confirm it will reopen to the public, with six stores set to open on June 1 with fewer-than-normal staff. Midcounties Co-operative Travel


will trial eight of its 57 stores behind locked doors from next week with a view to reopening in mid-June. Other agencies, such as Spear


Travels and Bailey’s Travel, are considering phased reopenings from July, while some, including Barrhead Travel and Premier Travel, have no planned reopening dates. Tui is to double its retail advisors to 1,100 from June 1, either working from home or behind closed agency doors. The moves follow the government’s


decision to allow non-essential retailers to reopen in England from June 15, provided Covid-19 infection rates continue to fall. Simon Morgan, chief executive


of Tailor Made Travel, argued his shops could open as they fell under Welsh Assembly rules on the transportation industry. Agency bosses said the top priority was staff safety.


Rad Sofronijevic, chief operating


officer for Midcounties Co-operative’s travel division, said: “They have to feel comfortable they can observe social distancing guidelines before we introduce customers.” Agencies are likely to open


initially with two to three staff on average, with some having staff manning the door. Spear Travels chairman Peter


Cookson said staff were keen to return but insisted there was “no rush” as working from home and via video was “working really well”. “Staff are champing at the bit to


get back,” he added. “It will depend on the competition. Recent activity suggests a presence back on the high street would be welcomed.” Amanda Matthews, managing


director of Designer Travel, which has one shop, said: “I don’t want the local population to think we’ve gone out of business. From June 15, we will find a way [to open], even if it’s appointment-only.” Miles Morgan Travel chairman


Miles Morgan said it would be critical to balance reopening costs with demand, adding: “The big question for us is how much demand will there be?” Barrhead Travel said its return was


complicated by Scotland’s lockdown not allowing non-essential shops to reopen until July at the earliest.


Quarantine rule r Ian Taylor


The industry reacted bitterly to confirmation of 14-day quarantine restrictions on UK arrivals from June 8, but there is cautious optimism travel to some destinations could restart from July. More than 70 UK travel and


hospitality leaders wrote to home secretary Priti Patel on Thursday urging she abandon the restrictions, saying: “There is a glimmer of hope that some summer business might be salvaged. The last thing the industry needs is a mandatory quarantine.” The heads of Abercrombie &


when the domestic outbreak was at a peak and international travel at an all-time low.” She claimed to “recognise how


STORY TOP


hard these measures will be for the travel sector”. But asked if it meant an end to overseas trips this summer, Patel said: “This is not about booking holidays. The advice from the Foreign Office is you’re not to travel.” Abta warned the


restrictions, to be reviewed every three weeks, would “put many people off


travelling” and a coalition of aviation, hospitality and business


Social distancing markers in Tailor Made Travel’s Merthyr Tydfil store


4 28 MAY 2020


Kent, Der Touristik, Kirker Holidays, Scott Dunn, Red Savannah, Rocco Forte Hotels, Mandarin Oriental, Rosewood Hotels and The Savoy were among the signatories. Patel announced the self-isolation


Peter Cookson


rules on Friday, saying: “We must take this action as the number of travellers increases. It’s different to


organisations wrote to Boris Johnson urging “a more targeted approach such as air bridges”. Aviation minister Kelly Tolhurst


confirmed the Department for Transport is looking at ‘air bridges’ when she appeared before the Transport Select Committee last week. Dale Keller, chief executive of the


UK Board of Airline Representatives, said: “Air corridors are what the industry wants. The industry is


travelweekly.co.uk


Home secretary Priti Patel


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