The head of the travel company, Lee Thompson, says the possibility of higher air ticket prices will not stop most people from going on vacation abroad this year.
“The need for human connection as we’ve all been isolated for so long… Everyone is desperate to meet other people and have new experiences,” says founder and owner of London-based firm Flash Pack. .
The travel company specializes in group adventure vacations for solo travelers in their 30s and 40s. He says the company has seen a “massive increase in bookings” in recent months, and that people are so desperate to escape that they won’t mind paying more for their flights, if jet fuel prices rise as a result of sanctions against Russian oil exports.
“In the last two years, we’ve gone from not being able to travel at all to spending hundreds of pounds on covid tests every time we want to leave the country,” adds Thompson.
“After all that, I don’t think flight price increases will stop the ‘Flashpackers. [or other holidaymakers] to do something they’ve been dreaming of.
Within the travel industry, the last two years have been especially difficult for independent companies, as they do not have the deep pockets of multinationals. However, those we speak to now are confident that the resort sector will bounce back strongly.
Flash Pack had to go into administration in November 2020 due to crashes. “Ninety-five percent of our income just disappeared,” says Radha Vyas, who co-owns the business with her husband, Mr. Thompson.
“We’re left with a large central London office, 55 staff, huge overhead and no money coming in.”
The business was in administration for a few months before the couple was able to take it back after remortgaging their home and paying back the money to clients who had owned it.
“It’s really encouraging to see business pick up again,” adds Mr. Thompson. “And we are already on track to reach pre-pandemic levels by 2023. Bookings on both sides of the Atlantic are booming, but Covid restrictions remain challenging and we have had to become experts on them.”
Lorne Blyth is the founder of the travel company Flavors Holidays, which organizes cooking, painting, pilates, language and photography classes in Italy and Spain.
“Our customers aren’t as concerned about rising flight costs,” he says. “Covid meant some of them haven’t managed to go on holiday abroad for over two years. So it may cost them a bit more now, but they have the money to spend and they want to get away.”
In 2019, Edinburgh-based Flavors operated 235 Italian and Spanish voyages, but none from March 2020 to September 2020.
To secure an alternative income stream, the company started running classes online, so people from all over the world could learn to paint or taste wine from the comfort of their home. The firm ended up giving about 80 Zoom classes a month.
“It was a great way to keep the sense of community alive with our guests,” says Ms. Blyth. “Some formed friendship groups online and then arranged to go on one of our vacations together. [when they started up again in limited numbers in the autumn of 2020].”
Ms Blyth adds that her company’s bookings for 2022 are now “returning to 2019 levels”. She adds: “It’s clear that after two years people are really looking forward to traveling again. The conversations are much more positive with people accepting the testing requirements and realizing that it’s just part of post travel travel. covid”.
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Most people now just want to go on holiday abroad again, says Natalie Bannister, owner of Cornwall-based Gutsy Girls, which organizes group adventure holidays for women. “Based on the interest in our 2020 vacation, I think everyone is up for an adventure,” she says.
Before the pandemic hit, he organized 70 trips a year. Then, in March 2020, he was in Norway preparing for one of his company vacations when the country went into lockdown.
“I had to self-quarantine, and my guests were due to come in two days for a week-long yoga and cross-country ski vacation…but people were being turned away at the airport,” says Ms. Bannister.
It had to close shop for five months, before offering a handful of rides during the second half of 2020 and last year.
“My whole identity was in my business – it was what I had put all my passion and energy into for the previous two and a half years,” says Ms. Bannister. “But then slowing down for two years was a great opportunity to refine what we offer our guests, and now we’re in a great place to grow the company sustainably.
“I am excited to now take on more trips to meet the demand of our community, allowing more women to connect with each other and with nature.”
Despite this optimism, some travel industry workers remain cautious. One such person is veteran industry expert and commentator Mike Bugsgang, managing director of UK travel and tourism consultancy, Bugsgang & Associates.
“Having endured the impact of a global pandemic for the past two years, the travel companies that have survived are now facing more challenges on several fronts,” he explains.
“The huge increase in the cost of living, in particular energy and fuel, coupled with inflationary food and beverage prices, is likely to affect the source market in the immediate term. Indications are that the domestic market, with people who stick to affordable holidays and short breaks in the UK, are projected to benefit the most in 2022.”
Back at Flavours, Mrs. Blythe says that running a travel business means you always have to be adaptable. “It’s not going to be a straight line, it’s always going to be a bit bumpy. Whether it’s a new variant of covid or something else, you always have to find new ways to keep your community together.”
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