Holidays abroad down since May due to confusion, say travel agents
BOOKINGS for holidays abroad have fallen since May due to ‘widespread and profound confusion’ over the EU digital cert, according to travel agents.
Irish Travel Agents Association (ITAA) president Paul Hackett said bookings tripled in May after an all-time low in the January to April period, after Taoiseach Micheál Martin announced there would likely be international travel this summer.
But he told the Irish Mail on Sunday this weekend: ‘Incredibly, bookings were actually higher in May than they are now.
‘The Irish consumer is so beaten down, they have no confidence that they can have any freedoms anymore.’
Mr Hackett said bookings dropped again in June after ‘completely mixed messaging from our CMO, Tony Holohan, and Leo Varadkar about whether people should go abroad’.
He added: ‘For a sector already decimated by the pandemic, this is unbelievable. I’m talking to suppliers in Europe and they’re saying, “What on Earth is going on in Ireland?” And I’m afraid I don’t have the answer for that.
‘We are now outliers in every way in terms of Covid-19. The rest of Europe is getting on with hospitality and travel and we’re still stuck in a hole.’
Mr Hackett said the Government had effectively ‘decimated’ the family market this year as it continues to insist on a negative PCR test for children over the age of six returning from holidays.
He told the MoS: ‘Ireland has taken a very harsh view of kids. Only children under six will be allowed back into the country without a PCR test. That’s in contrast to every other European country.
‘Other countries have been really proactive in attracting tourists, like the Canaries are offering free Covid travel insurance to all travellers.
‘France are offering free PCR tests but Ireland, it’s the reverse.’
Mr Hackett said any interest in holidays this year is restricted to sun vacations in Europe, with people mostly looking to book from September onwards.
But he added: ‘Next year is starting to look more normal with people looking at the US and other further-flung destinations, but that’s a long time off for our members to wait for payment.’
ITAA CEO Pat Dawson called on the Government to provide added business supports for travel agents due to the delay between advance booking and travel.
He said travel agents often have to wait for many months before they see any revenue from bookings.
Mr Dawson told the MoS: ‘In order to ensure a successful restart for our industry, we are asking the Government to provide the necessary business supports to avoid another blow to our industry
‘We are now Covid-19 outliers in every way’
after such a difficult year.’
Mr Dawson said the delay between booking and travel ‘means our sector must work for six to nine months before we actually count the income generated from advance bookings’.
For those considering booking a holiday abroad, the association is urging consumers to book with Irish-based ITAA member travel agents.
Mr Dawson added: ‘Consumers who book with a bonded, licensed travel agent are guaranteed protection under the European Package Travel Directive, which is not guaranteed when booking “doit-yourself” holidays.’
He said the only real activity in the market at the moment was people travelling to their holiday homes in Europe.
Mr Dawson told the MoS: ‘We have people taking flights out to their homes in Spain, Portugal and to a lesser extent France. But that doesn’t provide much income for travel agents.’