Napier travel agent Stephen Jennings feels his industry is missing out

You Travel Napier owner Stephen Jennings is disappointed with the government's lack of support.

With tourism top of the table as New Zealand's biggest export earner, members of the tourism industry are left bewildered they have not been given a slice of the payout pie in the wake of our current Covid-19 crisis.

You Travel Napier owner Stephen Jennings says his income year-to-date is 2934 per cent down on last year and apart from the government wage subsidies, the travel agency sector has been left out in the cold.

"We're all in the same Covid storm, however the travel agent's waka has been taking on water since March and is just about going under, but nobody's throwing us a lifeline," he says.

Taking on water to the tune of $1000 a day just to open his doors, Stephen says the longer this goes on, finances will continue to be impacted. Around a quarter of the revenue for forward bookings has had to be returned already.

"It takes an emotional toll not just on me but my family and staff, some of them long-serving."

Stephen says he is feeling very disappointed in the lack of support for the travel industry given everything the sector has contributed to the country.

"If the arts and building sectors can get money, who from the outside don't appear to be in the same position as travel agents, then why not us? We've played our part in the team of five million and continue to do so."

In fact Stephen and his team have had to go above and beyond since the Covid-19 crisis began in March, spending three to five times longer dismantling bookings and recovering people's money than it took to make the original bookings.

"It's very intense work as we also have to read all the Covid related policies written in often ambiguous language. It's demoralising recovering all the money and not getting paid to do it. It costs me $1000 every day out of my own pocket just to come into work, keep the lights on and get people back their money."

He says at the beginning of Covid-19 it was like being diagnosed with a serious illness.

"We've now had two rounds of treatment — subsidies — which have prolonged the period of time I can keep the lights on. This is the last week of our subsidy. I can't understand how the minister can't have seen that."

Stephen's obligation is to recover his clients' money but he is struggling to afford to do so, with a bit of domestic travel and repatriation flights his only income.

"At the beginning there were seven travel agencies in Napier — now there are only four. If I closed down now, who would get their money back for them? Do clients even know where their money is? We're trying to get their money back from 150 countries."

He says people are now realising the value of booking their travel through an agent, with some travellers who have booked trips online now turning to his company to try and get their money back for them.

"I think a lot more people in the future will use a travel agent. You can sit down in my office and talk to me rather than sitting for hours waiting on a computer generated message."

He is hoping "reasonable bubbles" will begin to operate in the future and says tour operators which used to work exclusively with the overseas market, have begun 'Kiwi-ising' their product.

"There is a lot out there Kiwis traditionally wouldn't know about which used to be sold to the wealthy overseas client — we are now seeing these products open up. People are starting to take advantage of what we have to offer."

Stephen says he isn't quite waking up with a feeling of despair yet, and believes he can get through this.

"But at what cost?"