Technomine Travel Solutions had the opportunity to be a part of one of the travel industry’s blue riband events that were attended by ITT Members and senior figures from across the UK and the overseas travel and tourism industry. The Institute of Travel and Tourism Conference, 2021, took place on board the MSC Virtuosa that departed from Southampton and cruised the beautiful south coast of the UK. It warmly invited attendees to share their thoughts and views, and of course, the key to that was spending time networking with industry peers and participating in the business sessions.
The three-night cruise and conference were a fantastic blend of engaging conference sessions, social activities, and networking opportunities, and this blog highlights some key points of the weekend.
Why was the ITT Conference 2021 important?
The travel industry has faced major challenges over the past 18 months due to the pandemic and constantly changing UK government restrictions. The crisis also highlighted the value of travel, including visiting new places, experiencing different cultures, and reconnecting with friends and colleagues.
At the ITT Conference, speakers discussed how the industry could adapt as business and leisure travel reopened. The sessions were moderated by Tim Hames, Senior Policy Adviser at ECO, and featured industry leaders including Lord Andrew Adonis, Dame Irene Hays, Julia Lo Bue-Said, Antonio Paradiso, Clive Wratten, and Wendy Wu.
The conference, originally planned for Istanbul in September, has been postponed to 2022. Stephen Freudmann explained that more preparation time was needed, especially as Turkey remained on the UK’s red travel list under the traffic light system.
Plan, do and review – Comments on the ITT Conference
It is certain that the UK traffic signal system (check out Current travel guidelines for business travel services) has almost certainly now been stripped back. Testing and regulations will still be in place; more information will be released on these with a government caveat that future updates will be in a timely fashion.
Steven Freudmann, Chair of the ITT, had his view of the UK government’s traffic light system. During his opening remarks, Freudmann called PCR testing a “pointless exercise” and quoted data from the Office for National Statistics. He further says, “I could complain about the complexity of the rules,” he added. “I could complain that the amber category is a complete waste of time, and I could complain that with one of the fastest vaccination programmes in the world, the UK should be leading the world in opening up to foreign travel, instead of squandering our advantage… but I won’t.”
We cannot control the government’s decisions, and we cannot rely on them. In the meantime, we must do what we do. The travel industry must reintroduce the ability for the general population to book, organise and plan vacations.
Will Payne, in the various TTG articles on the ITT Conference, talks about how businesses must adapt their strategies to “move the dial on diversity and inclusivity”, with changes starting right at the top. We agree.
We need to work together as an industry to motivate people to travel again. We need to help cut through the confusion, provide as much clarity as possible about what is possible and when, and, of course, back it up with flexibility regarding refunds and booking conditions.
Wratten put forth a crucial point, saying that he felt the industry’s focus on a recovery across the board is a priority. “To recover properly, we must not slip back into the civil wars the industry has been fighting, such as distribution costs,” he added. “The industry must never take the business travel ecosystem for granted again, and we must continue to operate as a whole entity.”
The ITT Conference was thought-provoking. Our take is that our industry partners will be looking at how to avoid redundancies and move forward with business recovery. A major consideration is striking an essential balance to ensure business recovery and the welfare of staff and business owners. This will take some pressure off the diligent staff who have worked all through the pandemic. With a potential shortage of skilled staff, essential knowledge, skills & talent gaps need to be factored in. Business continuity and quality of service will need to be maintained, and client reassurance will be required at the highest level.
For more information on how we can support your business, visit
www.technominetravelsolutions.co.uk
or contact Chris Oakes at
Chris@technominetravelsolutions.co.uk