It was a significant show of support for the UK trade and market, despite the ongoing concern around Britain’s political situation.
The ceremony was timely – occurring the same day The Times featured a front-page splash: “Easter holiday prices plunge as Brexit fears put off travellers”. It wasn’t a particularly helpful headline for the industry, but was it accurate?
TravelSupermarket, from which The Times story originated, certainly did its homework. It examined the prices of 100,000-plus overseas package holidays across more than 25 holiday providers and found as much as 24% price drops on Easter holidays year-on-year. It tallied with a warning this week from Aito director Noel Josephides, who tells TTG the industry should “get used to lower prices” and brace for “a difficult year”.
Agents though, tell a different story. Deben Travel’s Lee Hunt has been searching in vain for his own bargain holiday, but can find “nothing as good as what’s been quoted”. Abta also insists it has not seen “any patterns of discounting for Easter”.
Either way, it is crucial travel companies hold their nerve. If they don’t then, as Baldwins Travel’s Kim Lacey points out, “everyone’s margins will be impacted”. Research shows Brits – ever resilient – are likely to continue to travel, Brexit or no Brexit. Given the lavish MSC Cruises ceremony, it would seem this cruise line, at least, agrees.
In a further show of confidence, its chairman Pierfrancesco Vago confirmed one of the line’s newer ships will very likely be homeporting in Southampton in 2021. Others in the sector should take heart – and pay heed.
