On the wake of Covid-19, the Irish Travel Agent Association (ITAA) had already expressed their concerns regarding the rise of job loss in the travel sector. Now they have called for the support from the authorities’ side.
Approximately 3,500 jobs will become history if the government doesn’t act accordingly. The ITAA has requested the government to provide wage subsidies and grants so that the crisis won’t affect the business.
Some of the travel agents were forced to refund the customers as the Covid-19 made the entire world to go for a vacation into their own home. This refunds and holidays cancelation has curbed out 95% of the industries revenue.
Travel agents has made a petition endorsing their demands and they have also collected signatures from 6,000 people. This petition will be submitted to the government. Meanwhile the ITAA is due to meet the authorities for discussion, where they discuss about on the future of the travel sector.
ITAA CEO Pat Dawson said that the existing travel limitations will have an adverse effect on the Irish travel industry.
‘The travel industry has been forced into lockdown for an indefinite period of time due to the outbreak of COVID-19. We want to work with Government to save lives and keep our families, our staff, our clients and our communities safe, but we also need to preserve our businesses so that we can resume operations when it is safe to do so,’ he said.
He also added that they are hopeful that with government assistance, they will be able to save the 3,500 jobs that are currently at risk in the Irish travel industry.
‘These businesses were viable before the pandemic and I have no doubt that they will continue to be viable after the threat of COVID-19 has passed,’ he said.
