The B word...

Like most of the country, I’m so over the B word, but as a business owner and employer I have to take the looming 31 October Brexit deadline seriously.

We’re celebrating 14 years of Progressive Travel Recruitment in business imminently and it might surprise some that we have never been busier. That said, I’m not sure what will continue as we approach 31 October when we are pretty sure we will exit the EU with or without a deal. As a business, we have planned for a slowdown in UK travel recruitment activity during November and December, but have resources to weather any downturn in travel recruitment well into 2020. We are also lucky that we have many global clients, so we’re not just reliant on our UK activity. We also have an office in the EU which enables us to trade in the union with no barriers.

Chatting to clients and leaders in the travel industry, it strikes me that each travel company is unique. Each business will need to assess its circumstances carefully to ensure trade can continue as normal whether we leave the EU with or without a deal. With regards to employees, things shouldn’t change. My advice has and always will be to look after your travel team and they will be loyal and look after your business. The suggestion at the moment from government is that EU nationals currently living in the UK will be fine to stay. But you will need to assist employees in making sure they have any documents required to allow them leave to remain.

In terms of business, I would suggest targeting destinations that will help you weather the storm. I definitely don’t advise holding tight – those that plan ahead will benefit. UK holidays are doing well, as are long-haul – Costa Rica, Indonesia, Thailand, and closer countries outside the EU such as Turkey and Morocco remain strong. I’d advise exploring new markets outside the Eurozone.

In the event of a no-deal, it is likely that domestic operators will do well. This is not just because consumers might be confused about the legalities of EU travel – how long you need your passport to be valid for, whether visas are suddenly required, and just waiting until the dust has settled. But if the pound remains low then it might be prohibitive for people to travel to the EU and North America. Those countries in which the pound remains strong (across Asia, plus the edges of Europe: Turkey, Bulgaria, and others) may perform well.

Sobering government advice re travel to the EU after a no-deal is available online here. You can also sign up for email alerts from this government web page for when things change, as plans are currently still in flux.

As a business, we are prepared for any outcome. What I’d ask of the government now is simply truthfulness. Scaremongering isn’t good for my sleep and I am sure many other business owners are experiencing the same.

I’d be interested to hear what your companies are doing to prepare?

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