Nothing in plans will allow us to soar back, warn hard-hit travel agents

TRAVEL agents’ representatives say there was nothing in Nicola Sturgeon’s statement to give hope to their sector.

Joanne Dooey, president of the Scottish Passenger Agents’ Association, the professional body for travel agents and the travel sector in Scotland, said there had been ‘signs of travel booking enquiries beginning to flow through’ following Boris Johnson’s announcement on Monday, but the First Minister’s comments had not had the same effect.

She said: ‘Sadly, there is nothing in [the] statement which gives us any hope that bookings will increase as they seem to have done in England following Boris Johnson’s bullish comments.’

However, she struck ‘a note of caution’ over ‘large percentage increase figures’ being reported south of the Border, saying: ‘The travel sector has been decimated by the pandemic and it should be remembered that percentage increases don’t always show the whole picture. An increase from one booking to five bookings is still a 500 per cent increase.

‘What we all need to see now from the Scottish and UK Governments is a positive commitment to engage with the travel sector to find a clear path of out this and a way to stimulate the recovery of an industry which can’t survive through these continued restrictions.’

The Scottish Government has not yet announced plans for allowing foreign trips and First Minister Nicola Sturgeon failed to mention holidays in her announcement yesterday. She has said only that travel restrictions are ‘essential and are likely to remain so for some time yet’.

Pre-pandemic spending by tourists in Scotland generated around £12billion of economic activity for the wider Scottish supply chain.