United Kingdom
United States
Asia Pacific
‘Shame on you, one and all in government’
Sunvil Chairman Noel Josephides has launched a blistering attack on the government over its handling of Refund Credit Notes.
He also criticised Transport Secretary Grant Shapps’ comment that the move sent a clear message to customers to go ahead and book a summer holiday, saying: "This government wouldn’t know a clear message if it slapped them in the face."
The government announced on Saturday it has finally given its backing to RCNs, meaning they have the same financial protection as a package holiday.
Noel said: "The government has been briefed and begged, via the various ministries that oversee the outbound travel sector. It simply hasn’t responded to AITO’s communications and obviously doesn’t know its own Air Travel Trust Fund regulations, which clearly state that RCNs have (and have always had) the full financial backing of the ATTF – as has been substantiated by the fact that the CAA has refunded RCNs issued by the failed Shearings group.
"Government now claims to be helping the travel industry’s recovery ‘by sending a clear message that passengers can book their summer holidays with confidence’.
"This government wouldn’t know a clear message if it slapped them in the face. They have unnecessarily trashed the hard-earned reputation of the specialist-sector travel industry via their shameful inaction over many months.
"To announce in the third week of July that ‘summer holidays can be booked with confidence’ is laughable. It’s many months too late to help an industry that’s had no cash flow for five months and that has had to battle a bad law with no government back-up whatever.
"Shame on you, one and all in government. It really wouldn’t have taken more than 10 minutes for any of you to grasp the matter correctly a long time ago had you but listened to the travel industry; all of the trade bodies have given the same message consistently, but no-one in a position of power has paid a blind bit of notice."
Lisa
Lisa joined Travel Weekly nearly 25 years ago as technology reporter and then sailed around the world for a couple of years as cruise correspondent, before becoming deputy editor. Now freelance, Lisa writes for various print and web publications, edits Corporate Traveller’s client magazine, Gateway, and works on the acclaimed Remembering Wildlife series of photography books, which raise awareness of nature’s most at-risk species and helps to fund their protection.
Tony from Gatto’s Pizza on Columbus’s Unique Pizza Trail
Sophia Hyder Hock on Global Social Inclusion in Tourism
Sustainable Tourism: Don Welsh on Community Values and Global Collaboration
Jane Cunningham: Enhancing European Engagement in Tourism
Kristin Dunne: Navigating Destination Strategy
Revolutionizing Mobile Connectivity: Boris Bijlstra on HUBBY eSIM
Capturing Glasgow’s Vibrancy: An Interview with Susan Deighan, Chief Executive of Glasgow Life
Lebua Hotel & Resorts: Rajan Khurana on Hospitality and Bangkok’s Charms
Sustainable Tourism and Growth: Insights from Chiravadee Khunsub from Tourism Authority of Thailand
Revolutionizing Travel: SmartSIM USA’s Dale Takio Unveils the Power of E Sims
TravelMole Interview with Hishan Singhawansa, Deputy CEO of Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts, Sri Lanka
Unveiling the Essence of Magari Tours: A Dive into Authentic Italian Experiences
Abercrombie & Kent hails $500 million funding boost
British Airways passengers endure 11-hour 'flight to nowhere'
CLIA: Anti-cruise demos could cause itinerary changes in Europe
Gatwick braces for strike
Co-pilot faints, easyJet flight issues ‘red alert’