‘Our worst nightmare’ Only three in 10 travel agents left in ‘ghost industry'
Atravel agent says she is working in a “ghost industry” as 3500 fellow colleagues have left their jobs. Meanwhile, another likened the latest lockdown to “our worst nightmare” and “devastating”.
Joanna Corbett, from Galaxy Travel in Rotorua, said she started every day with hope but there were no solutions.
“Everyone is managing the best they can. No one knows the answers. Mistakes are made. Successes also. We are like a ghost industry”.
Travel agent numbers had reduced from 5000 to 1500 as people left the sector to take on employment elsewhere to pay the bills.
Corbett and her colleague Michelle Rok opted to carry on. The travel agent veteran of 36 years understood the necessity of the lockdown but said it was a real shame.
“It’s emotionally stressful to have no business but it is still fun to come to work each day to such a vibrant, challenging world.
“This is our world.”
YOU Travel Bethlehem managing director Kay Rogers said the firm had spent the best part of 2020 working for zero income to recover clients’ money from overseas suppliers.
“The Government promised reimbursement but refused to extend the parameters for us to be able to apply for the full amount. We were unable to access the remaining $20 million, which leaves us without any opportunity to continue to pay our remaining staff and overheads to attempt to keep going.
“If we close down now and walk away it still leaves a vast number of Kiwi travellers abandoned and on their own.”
She said the lockdown has been “our worst nightmare” and “devastating”.
She agreed with the measures taken but believed the Government’s vaccine rollout was a shambles.
Rogers said there had been an upsurge of people wanting help securing MIQ spots to enable them to travel back to New Zealand while many were getting stuck overseas for months.
She had been in the industry for 33 years and been through other traumas like the global financial crisis, SARS and 9/11.
“I have loved this industry.” Rogers started from humble beginnings from one retail store at the Mount to a four-store operation and a $20 million-plus turnover that plummeted to a negative zero in less than one month.
“The biggest challenge is to stay focused on the end game, to stay positive for not only myself but our remaining staff and our loyal clients.”
But she remains confident and has learnt many lessons over the last 18 months.
“We will take the experiences of
this new Covid environment that has a whole different set of requirements to enable us to better service our travellers.”
The amount of documentation needed had also changed and booking online was no longer the easy, quick solution.
House of Travel Papamoa owneroperator Tanya Aitken said at the moment the industry was complex but hugely rewarding.
“As professionals we know how to navigate the tricky and often unexpected
David Clark aspects of travel, enabling our customers to focus on enjoying their experience. Covid has highlighted our value even more so.”
She said lockdown was a major concern but agents were seasoned experts at re-locating, changing, amending and reassuring customers.
Aitken had been in the industry for nearly 30 years and said the biggest challenge now was uncertainty around the way forward.
“Although we now have fewer staff we are still trading, and the staff who are still with us have a wealth of knowledge and passion for helping the public. We have pivoted our business to get through the pandemic, increasing our sales on domestic travel while supporting NZ tourism
‘We will take the experiences of this
new Covid environment to enable us to better service our
travellers’