Wynnum travel agent urges government to help dying industry
A Wynnum travel agent says the business of locals booking domestic trips could be a lifesaver as their industry calls for unprecedented government assistance in the face of COVID-19 disaster.
Southeast
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A Wynnum travel agent says she has never seen anything as devastating to her industry as COVID-19.
“Most of the work (booking clients’ holidays) that we did has been undone,” said Helloworld Travel Wynnum owner Adele Powell.
“You couldn’t imagine what’s happened, you really couldn’t.”
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Ms Powell is one of 4000 travel agents — employing 40,000 Aussies — experiencing a never before seen decline in business, and morale.
“We’ve been here 20 years... it’s the worst it’s been,” she said.
“We’ve had to cut back hours. JobKeeper has been a life saver.
“We had a few bookings in July, August with people doing road trips... but that seems to have stopped now.”
According to the The Australian Federation of Travel Agents, a $125 million support package is desperately needed by the industry, which had been a growth sector contributing $28 billion annually to the economy before COVID-19 struck.
The industry had been responsible for 70 per cent of international bookings made from Australia and gained some two-thirds of its total turnover value from international air and cruise which was indefinitely interrupted on March 18 and is expected to take a far longer recovery period than that of domestic travel.
“Almost all agents have experienced revenue falls of close to 100 per cent,” the federation said, adding that the plummet followed what had been a healthy 11 per cent year on year growth.
“Without tailored support these businesses will start closing.
“That means job losses, a gap in the market that the internationals will fill. They don’t pay taxes or employ locals.”
Currently, the federation estimates at least 25 per cent of local travel agencies will close.
“I don’t think the government realises just how badly we’ve been affected, because things just stopped,” Ms Powell said.
She urged anyone thinking of an Aussie getaway during COVID-19 to book their trip with a travel agent.
“Please don’t use online because many of those companies are not Australian owned... we really need people to realise we are local — we live local — and we need them to support us badly.”
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