Flight Centre and HelloWorld close Tasmanian branches

Tasmania’s travel agencies have taken a massive hit as some of the state’s biggest players close shop fronts and independent operators struggle to stay afloat amid an unprecedented travel crisis.

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TASMANIA’S travel agents are really busy – but not booking trips.

They’re busy with a mountain of work cancelling and refunding holidays and cruises, which isn’t earning them any money, as their outlets shut up shop.

The drastic downturn in travel has seen some major players like HelloWorld close its Burnie branch and Flight Centre shut storefronts in Charles St, Launceston, Eastlands, Liverpool St, Hobart, Sandy Bay and Ulverstone.

Travel Associates has shut its Gray and Turner shop in Hobart and two branches in Launceston.

Closed HelloWorld travel branch in Burnie.

Burnie Travelcentre director Kathy Granger and the closed HelloWorld shop in Burnie.

The mass cancellation of holidays has also prompted the establishment of a new consumer advocate groups to fight for better consumer protection as some disappointed travellers struggle to get money paid for cancelled holidays refunded.

WHEN WILL AUSTRALIANS BE ABLE TO FLY OVERSEAS FOR HOLIDAYS AGAIN?

Flight Centre said the travel crisis had seen it close 50 per cent of its offices across Australia and some travel associates had merged so they had a smaller retail footprint.

Independent agents like Kathy Granger from Burnie Travelcentre and Anna Bayley from Travel by Anna are trying to hang on until borders reopen and planes take to the skies again.

Ms Granger said her business, part of the Traveller’s Choice network, had not made a sale since mid-March.

Jobseeker payments are keeping her six staff employed and rent relief has taken the heat out of having shopfronts in both Burnie and Smithton.

Ms Granger has now introduced Tassie Short Break holidays, where escorted groups travel and stay at places like Bruny Island, the Huon Valley or play golf on King Island are starting to take off.

“We are hoping this will tide us over until flights returns,” she said.

Ms Bayley said she was still operating but mostly dealing with cancellations and refunding trips.

“We are very busy but wondering how to pay ourselves. We mostly work on commission from airlines. We currently have 12 months of bookings cancelled and customers are nervous about booking anything at the moment.”

Ms Bayley had been hoping a travel bubble between Tasmania and New Zealand, South Australia, WA and the Northern Territory may have seen things kickstart again after six lean months. But fresh outbreaks of the virus and put paid to those plans.

Flight Centre shopfronts in Hobart closed early on in the pandemic.

Tasmania’s borders are now firmly closed until December 1 and that date might still be fluid.

Consumer advocate Adam Glezer said 1085 people had already signed onto his new page Travel Industry Issues – The Need For Change for Australians.

He said he would be proposing legislative change with the federal government soon.

“I am doing this to put consumer protection in place to not only help consumers but also ethical providers. If things do not change consumer confidence will plummet after what we have seen happen during this crisis,” Mr Glezer said.