What are the biggest challenges facing the travel industry?
In a word, uncertainty. The goalposts around conditions for the criteria on which destinations can open continue changing. What denotes an amber list country from a green list country also keeps changing. Which nationality can fly where and which tests do they need and how long do they have to quarantine seems to be a very common question amongst many customers. Each government seems to have a different approach towards travel and these governments change rules and regulations instantly resulting in fear of travelling.
When do you think travel will get back to normal?
Many airlines, hotels and industry bodies such as IATA have stated that the recovery will start in 2022, and 2019 numbers are likely to be seen in 2024. However, the type of traveller is likely to change with fewer business customers likely to travel due to communication tools having been improved vastly through the pandemic. This will result in different types of offerings by hotels and airlines – fewer meeting rooms, possible less use of an executive floor, reduction of hotel location from city centres. In terms of airlines, less premium cabin capacity (as business travellers reduce).
What are the tangible next steps for consumers that want to go on holiday?
Scientists say that Covid-19 is here to stay with us possibly forever. Therefore, whilst Covid-19 remains a threat to life, it will be mandatory for travellers to take tests. Brightsun has tied up with PCR testing companies and has passed these discounts to its customers so that PCR testing is as cost-effective as possible. In addition, we have the expertise and resources to advise on quarantine restrictions as they change for various countries.
Do you think travel will become more expensive?
Travel has already become more expensive. In some cases, costs have increased by more than 100% through the requirements of PCR tests prior to departure, and destinations and possible quarantine upon arriving at your destination or at the origin. As far as destinations are concerned, hotels/airports/transfer vehicles all have to do additional safety assessments to keep travellers safe. All these costs add up.
If long-haul travel becomes more expensive, do you think it will only be an option for the wealthy?
In proportion, long-haul travel will be no more expensive than short-haul travel. The amount of regulation or the number of safety considerations imposed by a country on arrivals will determine how expensive the destination becomes. For example, some countries are testing travellers who arrive in their country, for free. Others are subsidising testing to ensure that they are catching signs of infection early.
Why do you think travel agencies are valued now and post the pandemic?
At the top of the priority list for us was the safety of our customers. The second was to ensure that customers’ trips were cancelled when requested and monies were refunded with ease. Both these have reaffirmed the core of what runs our business – our customers. We look after them and they will look after us. Therefore, even though the pandemic caused us untold challenges, we have adapted to our customers’ needs to continue to be a reliable and trustworthy travel agent which has been reflected in our independent Trustpilot reviews. In return, customers have seen the difference using travel agents to online channels. With a travel agent, a travel consultant is accountable to provide the correct information to the traveller and a pre-and post-service which you don’t necessarily get online. Therefore, the value of a travel agent has been realised and continues to be realised as we encounter different stages of the pandemic.
What does the future look like for your business?
The future for our business looks promising. Obviously, with the uncertainty upon the time, it will take for travel to return to pre-pandemic levels, there will be opportunities to look at complementary industries to travel, and we have started a freight forwarding operation under www.btfreight.com This allows existing travel customers, both business and customers to continue to use our services for international transportation of goods, whether it be a one-off package to family overseas or large commercial goods for import and export businesses.
Travel will change, and the corporate sector will be the last to return sometime in 2023. Rather than corporates occupying “weekdays” in hotels and leisure travellers occupying “weekends”, we may see “weekday specials” in the absence of corporate traffic. With airlines not being able to occupy corporate passengers in their business cabins, we may see airlines tempting leisure travellers in premium cabins with “companion offers” or free (or great value) upgrades. Watch this space!
