Travel agent campaign group Target said “at least 14” of its members had taken part in interviews with their local stations.
They included Claire Moore of Peakes Travel Elite talking to Radio Shropshire, Holiday Lounge Hinckley’s Paul Moss in conversation with BBC Radio Leicester and Nicky Lynn of Althams Travel being interviewed by BBC Radio Leeds.
Among the agents interviewed was Henbury Travel boss Richard Slater, who told BBC Radio Merseyside bookings in his business were “really picking up”.
“Still lots of repeat customers coming back at the moment and not everyone is ready to go yet but we’ve got clients who are on their second and third holidays since last July and who are comfortable with the ‘new norm’.
“Of course we don’t want the ‘new norm’ and we want to go back to 2019 but that’s a rolling process at the moment,” he said.
Slater, who is also North West chair of Abta, urged the public to choose an Abta-accredited agent when booking their next holiday.
“They will have all the latest information and advice and a lot of the operators we use have flexibility.”
He added how Henbury Travel was seeing “one-in-three” of its sales coming from new clients.
“A lot of customers have booked online and had their fingers burnt badly,” he warned. “Nine times out of 10 we’re going to be the same price as what you find on the internet but what you don’t get on the internet is the value and experience. Many agents I know have 20, 30, 40 years’ experience.”
Presenter Lisa Marrey described agents as “unsung heroes” of the pandemic and praised Slater and the travel trade for the “hours and hours of extra work” put in for no money to help clients.
“Thanks for everything you do, and I honestly hope and you get a flurry of business over half-term,” she said.
Target co-founder Jill Waite said it was “great to see many agents being interviewed” and praised members for “all getting the same message across – that it’s now more important than ever to book with a travel agent”.
