‘We Will Never Take Travel For Granted Again’

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 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, networking opportunities and this blog highlights some key points of the weekend.

Why was ITT Conference 2021 important?

We understand how difficult it has been to work in the travel industry over the last 18 months. Aside from the realities of the epidemic, the UK government has enacted perplexing and sometimes conflicting measures that are continuously updating with extraordinarily little notice. The pandemic helped the travel industry appreciate the small liberties that were taken for granted. The conference functioned as a platform where the travel industry heartily agreed not to underestimate the importance of travel. Visiting new locations, meeting new people, learning about diverse cultures, sampling new delicacies, and of course finally (social distancing and protocols observed!) embracing friends and socialising with colleagues will never be taken for granted again.

Speakers at the ITT Conference focused on the possibilities of the much-needed change in attitudes. What steps will we take once the world we live in opens back up for business and leisure? The panel of experts gave their views and invited the comments from the conference attendees under the expert moderation by Tim Hames, Senior Policy Adviser at ECO.

Conference speakers include:

• Lord Andrew Adonis, Former Transport Secretary and Chairman of the National Infrastructure Commission
• Professor Jo Delahunty QC, Leading UK Barrister, Part-time Judge and Professor of Law
• Tim Hames, Senior Policy Adviser at ECO
• Andy Harmer, Director of CLIA UK & Ireland
• Dame Irene Hays, Chair of Hays Travel
• Julia Lo Bue-Said, CEO of The Advantage Travel Partnership
• Antonio Paradiso, Managing Director (UK & Ireland) at MSC Cruises
• Clive Wratten, CEO of The Business Travel Association
• Wendy Wu, Founder and CEO of Wendy Wu Tours

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 be still in place, however 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 decisions of the government, 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 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 partners in the industry will be looking at how to avoid redundancies and move forward for business recovery. A major consideration is an essential balance to ensure business recovery and welfare for staff and business owners. This will take some pressure off the diligent staff that have worked all through the pandemic. With a potential shortage of skilled staff, essential gaps of knowledge, skills & talent 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