The Travel Industry in Northern Ireland has been one of the hardest hit industries throughout the coronavirus pandemic. With borders closed across the globe and most travel being all but ruled out for 2020, the local industry is crying out for help from the government.
Many travel businesses have been barely surviving, with the only financial help available to employees being the furlough scheme, which is due to end in September.
As yet no further help has been confirmed for the industry and many travel agents are afraid that they will not have a job to return too.
But a light is emerging. After months of being the forgotten industry, Damien Murphy of Terra Travel and Richard Cooper of Carefree Travel have come together to begin forming the foundations of a brand new lobbying body for the travel industry in Northern Ireland – ANITA (Association of Northern Ireland Travel Agents).
And they need you!
Damian Murphy of Terra Travel said: “For too long now the Travel Industry in Northern Ireland has had no real voice or any sort of local platform to make our views and concerns known.
“Local travel agents and indeed tour operators are in the unique position of not only not earning any money since March but also having to refund much of what we made in the previous six months, and with no sign of things improving anytime soon our trading situation is now critical.
“Myself and Richard Cooper of Carefree Travel have, over the course of a weekend, convened a meeting with a view to getting our case to Stormont and asking for financial assistance in an attempt to avoid redundancies and layoffs in great numbers in the very near future. Indeed we hope to start having things presented as early as the end of this week.
“In conjunction with Jonathan Adair from Northern Ireland Travel News we are in the process of forming a new and hopefully, last voice for our industry and indeed everyone will be informed about this soon.
“For now we would ask that everyone who is involved with the Northern Ireland Travel Trade come together and make yourself heard. We all need to lobby our own political representatives so that they are made aware of the gravity of our current situation – particularly emphasising looming job losses and our need for financial assistance.
“It is vital we all find a path to survival so that we are here when better times arrive.”
Richard Cooper of Carefree Travel said: “It’s recognised that we still need to get many more of the Northern Ireland travel agency community involved in ANITA (Association of Northern Ireland Travel Agents).
“The committee members will be involved in contacting other Travel agents within their areas to join as we will be stronger together.
“It’s imperative that all members lobby the local MLAS and MPS to get them to understand the dire straights the NI Travel agency community is in.
“NI Travel agents are responsible for putting thousands of passengers on planes from local airports, therefore producing high load factors for airlines. Without strong outgoing travel we would not have large numbers of incoming tourists as airlines can not exist on a one way market.
“Government restrictions have resulted in zero confidence for customers. We do not see this returning until next January at the earliest.
“It will therefore be nearly a year without any income, so the need for help to avoid job losses and business failures is urgent.”
ANITA are calling on all travel business owners who wish to join ANITA or hear more about its aim and planned activities to contact their nearest committee member.
The regional committee representatives are:
- Armagh – Damien Murphy, Terra Travel, Portadown – dmurphy@terratravel.co.uk
- Fermanagh – Richard Cooper, Carefree Travel, Enniskillen – richard@carefreetravel.co.uk
- Down – Paul Gallagher, Downe Travel, Downpatrick – paul@downetravel.co.uk
- Antrim – Tracie Duffy, Crumlin Travel, Crumlin – tracie@crumlintravel.com
- Derry/Londonderry – Hazel Simpson, Limavady Travel, Limavady – hazel@limavadytravel.co.uk
- Derry/Londonderry – Jonny Fielding, JF Travel, Coleraine – jonny@jftravel.co.uk
- Tyrone – Liz McVeigh, Century Travel, Dungannon – liz@century-travel.co.uk
- Belfast – Sandra Corkin, Oasis Travel, Lisburn – sandra@oasistravel.co.uk
