Organisations & Operators,

A new report from the Advantage Travel Partnership has found that 61 per cent of travel agents will run out of cash by the end of this year.
The travel agent consortium released the findings as the UK enters a second lockdown, which effectively prohibits overseas and domestic travel.
The results show the stark reality of how desperate the situation is for travel agents’ businesses and the bleak outlook for the broader travel industry.
If blanket travel bans, quarantine measures and lack of testing continues, a further 27 per cent will run out of cash in the first half of next year, resulting in 88 per cent of agents running out of cash before June.
This means – in a rather hypothetical situation that there will only be 12 per cent of travel agents still in business next summer.

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Julia Lo Bue-Said, chief executive at the Advantage Travel Partnership said: “When will the government wake up and see that an industry is collapsing in front of them?
“These results are deeply concerning, but sadly are indicative of many businesses throughout the travel industry.
“We need an exit strategy from our government to outline how we are going to move forwards.
“Hospitality and retail had to ensure they were Covid-19 secure when they reopened in the summer, and travel needs its own equivalent – we must have a robust testing system in place and quarantine periods reduced to give us any chance of surviving this crisis.”
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TUI UK has launched winter 2021 and 2022 holidays as the company seeks to boost sales in the wake of the Covid-19 shutdown in travel.
The travel giant is also planning to put summer 2022 holidays on sale from November 5th.
The decision comes as 86 per cent of customers surveyed in September said they expect to have gone on holiday again by next summer – demonstrating the growing appetite for travel post Covid-19.
With on-going travel corridor uncertainty for some firm favourites this winter, those craving sunshine during the coldest months have already booked for next winter, with strong demand in particular for Cancun, Jamaica and Tenerife from the range of 52 destinations on sale.
TUI will be offering a total of 62 destinations for the summer 2022 programme from 16 UK airports.

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The company welcomes back Teesside Airport for summer 2022 for the first time since 2013 with the launch of a weekly flight to Palma on Tuesdays.
This flight will also give people living in the Teesside area access to four Marella Cruises sailing itineraries, including Coastal Gems, Treasures of the Mediterranean, Magic of Spain and Mediterranean Medley, all on Marella Discovery and on sale from December 2020.
TUI also expects Florida to continue to prove popular as many families moved their magical trip from this year to 2021, with 40 per cent of holidays to this destination already sold.
Families typically book their Florida holiday far ahead, so placing summer 2022 on sale now will help customers plan their truly memorable family holiday.
Richard Sofer, commercial and business development director at TUI, said: “Our latest customer survey and booking patterns for next summer indicate that the great British public are looking forward to future holidays even more so as they may have been unable to take one this year.
“This is why we have launched our future holiday programmes through to the end of October 2022, so that families and couples alike can plan ahead to next year and beyond to make informed choices about what will make their perfect holiday from the wide range we have on offer.”
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Saga has announced the appointment of Nick Stace as chief executive of its travel business.
He currently holds the role of chief strategy officer with the company, and will take up his new role with immediate effect.
In his new role Stace will oversee the cruise and tours businesses, while he will also retain responsibility for strategy at the parent company.
The key focus in both travel businesses is ensuring a safe return to service as soon as government restrictions on travel are lifted.
In his current role, Stace has been leading work with government and all other relevant authorities to ensure provision of the very best safety operating protocols for a Covid-19 world.

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Before joining Saga, he had held a series of senior leadership roles across charities, consumer-facing organisations and financial services as well as in regulation. 
Euan Sutherland, Saga Group chief executive, said: “I am delighted that Nick is moving to head our travel business after successfully driving our strategic reset.
“With a new strategy in place and a significantly enhanced financial position, we see a wealth of opportunities ahead of us as we position Saga to deliver sustainable growth and create significant long-term value.
“Nick brings a wealth of experience that will be invaluable for the next phase of development of our travel business.”
Stace replaces Robin Shaw who left Saga in June.
Stace said: “My number one priority in my new role is ensuring that our travel businesses are ready to provide exceptional experiences to our customers when the current restrictions are lifted.
“We know that the demand is there, because our customers are enthusiastically re-booking in both cruise and tours and we have worked to ensure we have detailed, industry-leading procedures ready for a Covid-19 world.”
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The newly-relaunched Thomas Cook has seen demand for holidays in the Canary Islands leap as searches rise more than 20 times on the previous week for the Spanish holiday hotspot.
Overall traffic yesterday tripled following the 17:00 announcement yesterday, when Grant Shapps confirmed Brits travelling to the Canary Islands, Denmark and Mykonos would not need to quarantine on their return.
Searches continue to accelerate this morning with customers flocking to grab last-minute deals to the main islands of Tenerife, Lanzarote, Gran Canaria and Fuerteventura.

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Thomas Cook, which launched last month committing to only sell holidays that are quarantine-free, is expecting to see a bumper weekend of interest – particularly with half-term upon us.
In addition, all holidays booked with Thomas Cook come with a money-back guarantee if quarantine rules are reinstated.
A spokesperson for Thomas Cook said: “It looks like Brits are clamouring to flock south for the winter and demand for holidays in the sun-soaked Canaries has come at just the right time for people looking for a break.
“There are some great deals to be had and all of the islands offer a great choice of holiday, from budget options through to high-end all-inclusive.”
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The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has announced the ATOL refund credit notes scheme will be extended until the end of the year.
In July, the ATOL scheme announced, following confirmation from the department for transport, that refund credit notes issued for cancelled ATOL protected bookings as a result of Covid-19 would be protected.
Originally, this protection applied to refund credit notes issued between March 10th and September 30th this year.
However, the scheme is today able to announce that ATOL protection for refund credit notes has been extended to cover any issued between the start of October and December 31st.
Consumers are entitled to a cash refund if a refund credit note is not suitable for them and have the right to exchange their refund credit note for cash at any point.

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However, as the ATOL protection for their refund credit note will expire on the September 30th next year they should redeem or exchange for a refund before this date.
Paul Smith, consumer director at the UK CAA, said: “While consumers who have had their holidays cancelled are entitled to a full cash refund, some may choose to accept a refund credit note.
“In light of the continued impact of the coronavirus pandemic on travel, the decision to extend ATOL protection for refund credit notes will strengthen consumer confidence and allow for ATOL holders to continue to offer them in good faith to their customers.”
He added: “Travel businesses should ensure that if they offer their customers vouchers or refund credit notes after December 31st they include in the offer clear information as to what protection, if any, applies.”
More Information
Further details of any conditions can be found on the CAA website.
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The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has announced the ATOL refund credit notes scheme will be extended until the end of the year.
In July, the ATOL scheme announced, following confirmation from the department for transport, that refund credit notes issued for cancelled ATOL protected bookings as a result of Covid-19 would be protected.
Originally, this protection applied to refund credit notes issued between March 10th and September 30th this year.
However, the scheme is today able to announce that ATOL protection for refund credit notes has been extended to cover any issued between the start of October and December 31st.
Consumers are entitled to a cash refund if a refund credit note is not suitable for them and have the right to exchange their refund credit note for cash at any point.

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However, as the ATOL protection for their refund credit note will expire on the September 30th next year they should redeem or exchange for a refund before this date.
Paul Smith, consumer director at the UK CAA, said: “While consumers who have had their holidays cancelled are entitled to a full cash refund, some may choose to accept a refund credit note.
“In light of the continued impact of the coronavirus pandemic on travel, the decision to extend ATOL protection for refund credit notes will strengthen consumer confidence and allow for ATOL holders to continue to offer them in good faith to their customers.”
He added: “Travel businesses should ensure that if they offer their customers vouchers or refund credit notes after December 31st they include in the offer clear information as to what protection, if any, applies.”
More Information
Further details of any conditions can be found on the CAA website.
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The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) has made significant changes to the design of its organisational governance at the recent board meeting.
Over the past three years, PATA has been reviewing leading organisational models and been in consultation with a wide range of experts to create a design that modifies and refines the association for more efficient outcomes and engaged participation.
The major changes are a shift from an appointed board to an elected board by all members that is also substantially reduced in size, in addition to a reduced and fully elected executive board.
A unique feature of the new design is a shift from an expansive array of committees to ‘expert task forces’ (ETFs), which draw upon the deep knowledge and experience within the PATA network to address issues of interest to the association and the industry.
The ETFs are established to focus on a specific task within a specified time-frame and disband upon completion.

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New ETFs will be formed on new issues as they arise.
The goal is to enable the active engagement of members in dynamic and meaningful activities that support PATA’s purpose of facilitating the responsible development of travel and tourism in the Asia Pacific region.
As noted by immediate past chair, Chris Bottrill, who oversaw the governance redesign during his tenure as chair: “I believe the meetings last week were a pivotal moment for PATA.
“Through the work of dedicated leaders and the input of members, we have committed to a new design that builds upon the legacy of PATA and sets us up for future growth, impact and success.
“It is a proud moment for the PATA community to have embraced change with the goal of strengthening the association now and for the future.”
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Consistent and harmonised travel protocols, enhanced safety measures and the protection of jobs and livelihoods are the main ingredients needed for the restart of tourism.
The sixth meeting of the UNWTO Global Tourism Crisis Committee reminded participants of the need to work together as the only means of advancing the sustainable recovery of the sector.
The meeting produced a commitment to create a new UNWTO Committee on Common Safety Protocols to increase confidence in international travel, as well as firm plans for enhanced consumer protection for consumers and measures to protect jobs.
Setting the tone for the meeting, UNWTO secretary general, Zurab Pololikashvili, made clear that, with many millions of livelihoods at stake, inaction is not an option, and that the rapid and sustainable recovery of tourism is essential.
“Strong coordination is needed to accelerate the lifting of travel restrictions in a safe and timely manner, to increase investment in systems that support safe travel, including testing on departure, and to sustain and support businesses and jobs.

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“If we fail to address these three priorities, we will fail to restart tourism, and so fail to save millions of livelihoods,” Pololikashvili said.
Just as people are at the driving force of global tourism, so too has UNWTO stressed that recovery policies must recovery be people-focused.
For starters, restoring consumer trust and coherent and standardized international protocols are mutually reinforcing and critical for the return of tourism.
The Crisis Committee meeting saw UNWTO announce plans for a new International Code for the Protection of Tourists.
This will be the first legal framework to protect tourists’ rights as consumers, harmonizing minimum standards across different countries and ensuring the fair distribution of responsibility to tourists affecting by the pandemic among stakeholders across the sector.
A technical committee for the creation of the code is being set up and will meet before the end of the month.
Alongside this, UNWTO is working to protect jobs and help workers affected by the pandemic find new opportunities.
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