Industry needs to restore ‘damaged’ consumer trust

Tony Wheble, chairman of reviews site Feefo, told the Virtual ITT Conference Forum there was “going to be a demand bounce” as the Covid-19 crisis eases later in the year.

But he added the industry had to take measures to “improve consumer trust” after some holidaymakers had to wait months for refunds after cancelling their trips due to the virus.

“There’s a huge dam of pent-up demand that’s going to smash through and it’s going to be a boon for the industry,” said Wheble. “We expect it at some point this year but don’t know when. You need to be prepared for the bounce.

“But we have to exercise a degree of caution – we must be careful not to mask some of the challenges the industry faces. Damaged trust could be a factor, and you need to be ready and capable of addressing this if you’re going to have a healthy business.”