Over the past extraordinary weekend there seemed to be more written about the effect of Covid-19 on Premier League football than there was about its impact on the travel industry, and the many thousands of businesses and the millions of livelihoods at the epicentre of the storm.
Who will bear the cost in travel? The global disruption is unparalleled in the way it has permeated to travel’s every layer, from the previously unbounded aviation sector to epic cruise ships, down to the one-person travel agency.
From the highest peaks to the busiest beaches, the industry has gone dark. And while travel agents are still helping their customers deal with the fallout, attention will soon turn to how much longer they can trade while no-one is buying holidays.
Today, we are launching the TTG Coronavirus Business Support Service, creating a one-stop shop for everyone in travel to find the resources and information they need to support their businesses, their jobs, and themselves during the crisis.
Travel agents need to get ahead of this – now. Reach out for support, whether it’s via the government’s new benefits for affected businesses, or directly from your bank. Remember the banks will be as concerned as anyone that a raft of their small business customers are under serious threat. They will want to help.
Or you may want to find new ways to engage your team or your colleagues. If your teams aren’t selling travel how can they make themselves indispensable for their communities? South west and Wales travel agency owner Miles Morgan has had the idea to ensure his team are reaching out and supporting the elderly near his 21 shops. Look out for more positive ideas around how the trade can stay close to their customers during this period.
Above all, look after yourself. Your mental wellbeing and your physical health will be crucial to getting through this challenging period, not only by doing everything you can to avoid Covid-19, but by ensuring you are resilient and ready to take advantage of the opportunities when they come back.
Advice and tips on all of these areas and more is being brought together in the TTG Coronavirus Business Support Service. We are also offering to find the answer to any question you have around the Coronavirus – if we can’t help, we’ll find someone who can.
And remember that while the days are dark, and we don’t yet understand when the new dawn will come – when the sun comes up, you can be sure of one thing. Everyone is going to need a very good holiday indeed.
