WA agents “extremely bleak”

THE future of Western Australia’s travel agents is looking “extremely bleak,” according to the owner of one of the largest agencies in Perth.

Carole Smethurst from Bicton Travel this week attended a “Bicton Community Cabinet Meeting” at the local sailing club, alongside WA Premier Mark McGowan and several of his senior ministers.

Smethurst spoke to WA Tourism and Small Business Minister Paul Papalia, and told Travel Daily his total disdain for agents was “obvious”.

“The State Government has no plans to open our borders anytime soon, and [Papalia] did say that Josh Frydenberg’s hope to open up the international borders in Jan is ‘not going to happen’,” Smethurst said.

“He asked if I had thought of ‘pivoting’ into selling intrastate holidays,” she added.

Smethurst said Bicton had tried, and was still trying, to sell WA domestic holidays, “however the fact that the domestic airfares attract nil commission and that hotels prefer direct bookings make this unsustainable”.

WA Premier McGowan, who is sitting on an 89% approval rating in the lead-up to a state election in Mar 2021, yesterday announced there would be “no travel bubbles,” Smethurst said.

Despite this, the demand for travel and cruising is there.

“All the time my clients are telling me that they can’t wait to travel again, and in particular cruise again,” she said.

“Most clients are confident that cruise lines will make all the necessary arrangements within health department guidelines to keep everyone safe.

“Hurtigruten are leading the way with operating Norwegian coastal voyages for Norwegians, proving that cruising can be made safe...with WA hotels fully booked for most of the year, small ship cruising may be the only way the WA traveller may be able to see our beautiful coastline,” Smethurst concluded.