United Kingdom

Mike Pooley, MD, purposemade solutions limited

A recent sight test after eye surgery was a good one: “20/20 vision Mr Pooley, you now have pilot’s eyes!” So, with that validation and media reports indicating growing demand for travel, here's my check-list for getting "tiptoe travellers" and pioneers who want to be travelling again back into the air.

Check 1: We need back up. Government needs to deliver on promises in its Global Travel Taskforce report, designed to support economic recovery. The UK’s Hospitality and Tourism industry brought in over £24 bn in 2019 and needs protection. Furloughs and grants have helped businesses ride out lockdowns and mitigate the Brexit effect, but there is a real need to kick start the sector. Thankfully we have witnessed several impressive examples of pivoting and re-engineering from forward thinking leaders which must be applauded.

Check 2: We need a dose of common sense. Many of the sector’s supply chain partners and service providers have absorbed the challenges of 2020 and these hardworking, resilient, businesses are standing by to aid recovery. Their efforts must be recognised. When the time comes to flick the switch again, we need to see an acceleration to market, delivered through intelligent, viable collaborations and common-sense commercials. We need a more inclusive, mutual process reflecting how all are fighting to stay in business for the good of the sector AND to improve future choices for travellers.

Check 3: We need our market players to collaborate. The more positive prevailing trends of the past year must be harnessed by a combined effort to fully aid sector recovery and offer a revitalised, integrated, passenger experience. This momentum will be backed by the wave of technology and digitalised advancements now becoming the new norm. Chefs, innovators and menu designers have worked hard to deliver secure and well-packaged ‘light-touch’ food solutions, and these teams now need time to pitch and educate the marketplace on the value of onboarding contemporary crew- and passenger-friendly options.

Sustainability will remain key and expect retail and cook-at-home trends to play out with the arrival of new plant-based products and ‘functional’ foods. Leave space too for provenance and comfort foods, – passengers will want products they can trust! •