"We had already lost every penny of profit we could make for the year. We were working for nothing, trying to help people, but nobody cared.”
These are the sobering words of Janette Healey, owner of Essex-based agency The Travel Boutique, who despite a successful 30-year career decided to leave the industry she had once loved after becoming weary of being “screamed at in the street”.
Healey’s story is heartbreaking. But more tragic still is that her experience is not unique.
Her words could be those of any one of the thousands of people working in travel who have struggled through the past few months, having to issue refunds with no money coming in.
And, just when bookings started to return, the government decided to switch off destinations at a moment’s notice – a move that devastated an already decimated sector.
Like Healey, TTG believes enough is enough. The travel sector is all too aware of the complexities of the crisis in this country and wants to protect Brits.
But Westminster needs to realise an entire industry is facing a catastrophic future unless urgent help is provided.
The #SaveTravel campaign, launched by TTG, is demanding government sit up and take note. The campaign has three aims, and has already been backed by thousands of travel professionals and consumers.
If we are to be successful, though, we need your support too. Find out how you can help us to #SaveTravel before it’s too late.
In addition to launching campaigns such as #SaveTravel, the TTG team has also been dedicated to supporting the sector with online events and our fortnightly digital magazine.
However, we vowed to bring TTG’s print magazine back as soon as it was possible, and we’re thrilled to announce TTG will be returning to print in a new monthly format from the first week of September.