Travel agents allowed to re-open on June 15
Non-essential retail shops in England, including high street travel agencies, will be allowed to re-open from June 15, as long as they have new safety measures in place.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson made the announcement in the Government’s daily coronavirus briefing on Sunday, adding that retailers will have to adhere to new guidelines to protect staff and customers.
The Advantage Travel Partnership is set to launch guidance and assets to help members get ready for re-opening their retail stores and offices in a Covid environment.
It will share advice, checklists and downloadable marketing materials to help agents meet government guidelines and reassure staff and customers.
Members will be given information about protective equipment and a list of suppliers where it can be sourced, plus advice on cleaning and hygiene processes and recommendations for spacing in line with social distancing.
CEO Julia Lo-Bue Said said: "We know our members are eager to get their businesses back up and running as soon as it is safe for them to do so. We also appreciate that the world we now find ourselves in is so far removed from what we once knew.
"There is no prize for opening first, and it is important members plan correctly to ensure they can give their clients confidence to enter their shops and premises. The support we’re giving members with guidance, creating assets, and procuring equipment, will provide an additional layer of reassurance, to allow them to plan accordingly for their office and retail unit reopening."
Advantage said with the government’s health and safety advice constantly evolving and with travel agents still in the throes of processing cancellations, re-booking clients – and with large percentages of their workforce on furlough – it’s important agents have the most up-to-date advice in a simplistic format.
Advantage is translating government information into various checklists for members to protect both staff and customers.
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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