A Waterford travel agent says that the continued uncertainty regarding foreign travel is making the situation very difficult for all in the industry.
Sean Power, who is owner of Harvey Travel in the city, says his company is receiving calls daily from people asking if the can go on ski holidays in January or would be safe to book city breaks by the end of the year.
But he says all travel agents and tour operators can answer is what they believe might happen, as it's very hard to give real and accurate information.
Sean Power was reacting to news in recent days that Joe Walsh Tours, one of Ireland’s oldest travel agents and tour operators, has ceased trading after 60 years, citing Ireland’s travel protocols due to Covid-19 as “the most restrictive in Europe”.
Joe Walsh Tours was established in 1961 and was family-owned. It was the largest fully Irish-owned tour operator providing group travel to pilgrimage destinations.
On Deise Today this morning, Sean Power said he had been dealing with Joe Walsh Tours for about 57 of their 60 years in business and always found them to be a very professional company.
As the main operator for the annual diocesan pilgrimages to Lourdes - including the Waterford one - they looked after the travel arrangements of hundreds of people each year.
He said a very large part of their business was chartered work and they would have had to pay deposits upfront to hotels etc.
Our travel protocols here, he said, were the most restrictive in Europe.
"It's changing by the day," Sean Power told Damien Tiernan. "The Taoiseach said the other day it would be a summer and home and then our Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan said today he would be talking to airlines about opening up soon but when is that? Who knows..."
Sean Power said Harvey Travel have been working behind closed doors this past year, shifting holidays from last year to this year and now from this year to next.
You can listen back to Sean Power talking on Deise Today this morning by clicking below here...
You can listen to the full Deise Today show from this morning, meanwhile, by clicking below here...
