Gold Coast travel agents say they’re ‘forgotten’ as Covid restrictions, border shutdowns slash numbers

A Gold Coast travel agent is demanding a return of JobKeeper and rental support - saying there are only a handful managing to survive the ongoing Covid pandemic.

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A GOLD Coast travel agent who says the industry has been “forgotten” is demanding a return of JobKeeper and rental support to help the few still surviving.

Mudgeeraba Helloworld Travel owner Andrea Cole said there were just 37 travel agents operating in Gold Coast and the Tweed compared to 111 in 2017.

Ms Cole said she received the figures from a wholesale travel representative covering the Coast, who attributed the massive drop to the pandemic.

At 76, the Mudgeeraba travel agent was forced to come out of retirement to run her business when the pandemic hit.

She said Mudgeeraba Helloworld Travel was not eligible for financial support during the pandemic because it had been operating for less than two years.

Manager Andrea Cole waits for phone inquiries at the Helloworld Mudgeeraba office. Picture Glenn Hampson

Ms Cole’s other franchise, Worongary Helloworld Travel, was able to receive financial help.

Australian Federation of Travel Agents chairman Tom Manwaring said while he couldn’t speak on Gold Coast specific figures, but the number of travel agents operating across Australia had dropped by 30 per cent since the pandemic.

“Travel industry has been in lockdown for 18 months,” Mr Manwaring said.

“The agents themselves are really at a crisis point.”

He said while the federal government had provided support for travel agents up to June 30, AFTA was calling for more support to keep the agencies open from July to the end of the year.

Ms Cole said it was “not fair” how travel agents were being treated.

“It’s through no fault of our own that this is happening … and we’re in lockdown yet again,” she said.

“I would like the JobKeeper to come back again. That was the saviour for Mudgeeraba.”

Ms Cole’s daughter Sarah Dixon, who runs Worongary Helloworld Travel, said rent was the biggest cost for most travel agents.

The travel agent is disheartened as the industry struggles on with less than a third of travel agents operating on the Gold Coast compared to pre-Covid levels. Picture Glenn Hampson

She said small businesses needed some relief from the rent burden.

“We’re paying full rent at the moment and trying to negotiate with the landlords,” Ms Dixon said.

“Last year there was Covid support for landlords, so that would have been good if it had of been extended – but it wasn’t.”

McPherson MP Karen Andrews said coast tourism operators had borne the brunt of border closures.

“The Morrison Government is providing direct support to travel agents through the $258 million COVID-19 Consumer Travel Support Program,” she said.

“This is on top of support the sector received through JobKeeper and the $1.2 billion aviation and tourism support package.

“As agreed by National Cabinet, in the event of a lockdown, Queenslanders whose income or hours of work have been impacted will be able to claim COVID-19 Disaster Payments.”

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