'We used to sell dreams but we’ve been dealing with nightmares'

On the subject of government support, Corkin said she was disappointed by the Northern Ireland Assembly not offering a grant per branch as is available to companies in England, leaving six-store Oasis with just one £25,000 grant for the whole business.

“I know some businesses in Northern Ireland are fighting that because they’re saying ‘why should it be any different?’” Corkin explained, adding she would be offering her voice to the cause.

Discussing staff on furlough, Corkin stressed the importance of keeping non-working employees involved in the business with training, social events and regular team updates.

Mann said he was still deciding how best to bring staff back from furlough and praised the scheme for the speed at which funds were paid to businesses. “We might do three weeks on and three weeks off [with staff],” he predicted. Antrobus too said new business demand would determine when staff would be recalled from furlough.

“If the demand isn’t there with bookings coming in yet, then we’ll work as we are currently – we need to get that balance right.”

Turning to the situation with customers and the ongoing battle to secure refunds, Mann said excuses from operators still withholding reimbursements were “starting to irritate”.

“It’s six weeks on now and they should have a plan,” he said. “To say ‘don’t come back to us for a refund before December or March 2021’ is just ridiculous. It puts us in dispute with customers.”

He said Westminster’s lack of action over refund credit notes and the industry’s failure to secure government’s support for the option was “embarrassing”, adding: “We used to sell dreams and at times we’ve been dealing with nightmares.”

Corkin revealed she had reported a supplier who “wasn’t offering a credit note and had given no timeline for a refund” to Abta for breach of its code of conduct – but was yet to receive a response.

Antrobus suggested Abta’s time could be “better spent” than coming down on operators over refunds. “By the time [any action is taken], won’t we all be through all of this?” she questioned.

Asked how each agency was speaking to customers about refunds and amendments, Antrobus suggested encouraging clients to move their bookings into 2021 – with price increases likely and availability for next year already filling up.

“It’s part of the conversations we’re having – ‘get a 2021 holiday at the same price as 2020 and you’re winning’,” she said. “‘Travel will become more expensive [so] get in now. Don’t be waiting for some kind of last-minute deal because availability isn’t going to be there’.”

Assessing recent business secured, Antrobus said Haslemere had seen “a very small handful” of enquiries, with the earliest departure date a long-haul trip for November. Corkin said Oasis had “definitely seen a bit of an upturn in new bookings” over the past few weeks with Christmas, New Year and next summer proving popular.

Mann spoke of his “shock” at bagging sales for Florida and Iceland after posting offers on social media in the week commencing 11 May. “We probably did in a week what we’ve done in the whole of April. I was quite pleased.”