Interview: Chris May, managing director, Hayes and Jarvis

Tuesday, 29 Oct, 2002 0

Long-haul operator Hayes and Jarvis is claiming it will report healthy profits this year despite the disasters of September 11 and the Bali bombing hitting business.

The resulting fall in sales has led to competitors, including the Thomas Cook and British Airways Holidays joint venture Accoladia, recording losses, but Hayes and Jarvis said it had come through the past year relatively unscathed.

“Initially we were down 60% after September 11,” Hayes and Jarvis managing director Chris May (pictured) told TravelMole.

“By Christmas we were just over 15% down, but that was due to us taking charter capacity out of the market. Countries in the middle and Far East have done surprisingly well.

“Like all long-haul operators, we were hurt after September 11, but we are still a profitable long-haul business. As part of First Choice, we can’t reveal our exact figures, but we will have a good year.”

May said Egypt had recovered and much of the charter capacity taken out post-September 11 had now been re-instated.

He admits he has had an “horrendous time” since the Bali bombing, as the operator organised repatriations and alternative holidays for customers.

“In Bali we got 175 people out – all bar 20 of our clients there,” said May. “Those 20 simply refused, against Foreign Office advice, to come home. They wanted to continue their holidays.

“We’ve had an horrendous time organising everything. But people who were due to go to Bali are now going to Phuket or Penang and we have had very few cancellations.”

May said Bali had been taken off sale until January 1 2003.

Hayes and Jarvis is launching a comprehensive Australia programme in November with an expanded number of holidays to the country.

It’s also planning to build on its ‘diving’ programme with a series of lifestyle brochures next year.

“We have got plenty of plans up our sleeve,” said May. “We want more lifestyle brochures and there are other developments in the pipeline, but we are keeping them under wraps for the time being.”