Speaking to TTG this week about the challenges we're all facing right now, I said that in my 30 years in travel, I couldn't think of a time when there have been so many individual elements that are worrying people about their holidays – and I really meant it.

The conflict in the Middle East aside, there’s so much for people to think about. We generally serve a slightly older demographic at Deben Travel, and despite often being very well-travelled, they tend to have more of an underlying worry about travelling – and there’s just so much in the mainstream media at the moment that they’re overwhelmed.

Update: Jet2 rules out introducing surcharges

They’re double checking their passport details for reassurance on validity, and we’re even getting calls or people coming in to ask if their flight is going to be cancelled because it hasn’t got enough fuel.

There are even extra prior departure customs forms for some destinations now. I've also had some conversations with customers who are worried about job security.

So we're doing enquiries for people, but they're not booking. They’re thinking they’ll leave it a bit later to book, but the thing is, we're not far off that late booking period already.

'We need some positive messaging'

We’re happy to reassure and advise on all of this, of course, but it shows there’s a lot of concern out there among consumers. And personally, I want to see more action from the big suppliers.

The operators are telling us the capacity is there for the summer, but what incentives are there going to be for people to travel, and what's there going to be to put people’s minds at ease?

It would be good to see a couple of the large operators come out and just guarantee, for example, no fuel surcharges. Or could the big airlines come out publicly and say they’re confident they’ve got enough fuel to last them the summer and winter season?

We need some really positive messaging from these big companies, which we don't seem to be getting. It's just all negative news at the moment.

Lee Hunt is the owner and founder of Suffolk agency Deben Travel.