Do you sometimes yearn to tune in to the news and see that the lead story is about the discovery of the oldest ever domestic cat? You know then that they’re struggling for stories and there’s nothing much happening in the world. It has been the complete polar opposite in recent weeks. Be it political turmoil in both the major parties in the UK, a new prime minister and a new cabinet. Terrorism and mass murders now appear to be the daily norm. The shadow of Brexit still looms over many key issues. The failure of Lowcostholidays.com was a major news item in our travel industry, but was down on pages 12 or 13 in the national newspapers, as bigger global stories dominated.
These are indeed unprecedented times, but as geo-political events negatively affect the travel industry, there will be sectors and destinations that will benefit as a consequence. Brexit’s impact on the value of our pound will be a fillip for the domestic tourism market as the staycation looks more appealing. The travel industry is a broad one, and sometimes we forget about the domestic market. Travelodge made an announcement recently stating they were going on a big recruitment drive. The failed coup in Turkey will have further weakened that already fragile destination, but Greece will surely gain as a result. Croatia specialists and other Balkan operators should also be benefiting.
We were saddened by the news of Lowcostholidays’ demise as they were one of our first ever clients 12 years ago. It’s bad news for those in the industry who have to re-book their customers, and for all the Lowcost staff who find themselves without a job in the height of the season. There will be those who will benefit as a result of this failure though. Some of Lowcost’s competitors are reporting an upturn in business, and some of the staff from Lowcost have already secured new jobs. The calibre of Lowcost’s staff was good, and I have no doubt that many of them shouldn’t wait too long to find new roles, as demand for good quality and experienced travel professionals remains high.
Ian Brooks, Co Founder
