Covid-19 effect on a Local Travel Agent
It’s fair to say that 2020 has not been the year we had hoped it would be. Far from it. A global pandemic has dramatically changed the world we know and crippled the travel and tourism industry in ways never experienced before, bringing travel to a standstill.
Delta Holidays, a family-owned and operated small business in travel in Montmorency, it has been a tough time to be operating. For over ten years we have dedicated our lives to servicing local clients and bringing their travel dreams to life. It has been our livelihood for all that time. In March 2020 that all stopped.
With our national border closed to all outgoing and incoming travel and State borders closed for much of the last six months, Government enforced lockdowns and travel restrictions have effectively left us without any product to sell and we are now surviving on Jobkeeper.
Since March, we have seen bookings stop while managing cancellations and refunds for all our clients. It has been incredibly challenging and demanding trying to stay on top of it all with airlines, land, and cruise operators constantly changing policies in response to the ever-evolving Covid-19 regulations and restrictions. Every holiday we’ve had to cancel has been heartbreaking because for many, it’s not something that they’ll be able to do again. A lot of our clients are elderly, or it was for a special event. Add to that the long delays in getting refunds, makes it hard for our job to be enjoyable at the moment.
We are working long days to assist clients with no financial reward since new travel bookings are virtually non-existent. We have had zero revenue for six months with little prospect of any improvement until sometime next year. But we remain committed to supporting our clients and advocating on their behalf, in the hope that amid the Covid-19 crisis we will at least have demonstrated the value in booking with a travel agent.
While business is suffering, we know that we are not alone and acknowledge that many other small businesses are also feeling the pain inflicted by this virus.
As we continue to navigate our way through these tough times, we are bracing for the months of uncertainty ahead with the extent and delay of travel still very unknown. Nonetheless, while there’s no clear end in sight to predict how long the virus will pose a risk, history has shown us that travel is a resilient industry, and we remain optimistic that business will be back and that we will get past this.
We are a nation of travellers and as the world opens up again for travel, there will be pent-up demand. People will want to connect with one another, visit friends and family, and travel to new destinations – and we look forward to helping people explore and experience our world with new wonder and appreciation. Please think of us when booking your next holiday. Small businesses are the backbone of our community, and we need your support now more than ever.
Eve & Dion
Delta Holidays
14/4 Binns Street, Montmorency VIC 3094
Tel: +61 3 86829481
