A little light in the tunnel...
Just before Easter, several weeks ago already, I wrote in my blog "Business as UN-usual" how we had to pull out all the stops to repatriate, rebook or relocate travelers and groups.
By now that is largely behind us and our teams of UNIGLOBE Alliance Travel and goMICE, start focusing on the future. A future that (at least for now) will be different from what we are used to. The guidelines we can dream of in the Netherlands and yet there are often some ambiguities. These ambiguities about travel will be removed as much as possible in the coming period.
I myself recently drove past Schiphol Airport and saw that very beautiful blue/white fleet parked there, gleaming in the sun, waiting for all those beautiful birds to be allowed back into the air. A very touching picture, it grabbed me, made me feel a lump in my throat. But it also made my thoughts immediately go back to the people who have been or are being touched by Corona, losing loved ones and everything we all might have to deal with.....!
Toward a gradual "unlock"
Yet even now the world is turning! All our teams are busy further improving processes, but above all to keep providing our customers with up-to-date information. With our blogs, posts and newsletters we would like to keep you informed as much as possible about the gradual "unlock" in which we (and with us many other countries) currently find ourselves. We will publish a file on a regular basis in which you can see the current possibilities or restrictions per airline and country at the push of a button.
At the moment, we are cautiously getting some new travel requests again and of course we yearn for that, but the most important thing of course is to follow all guidelines and advice and not let the virus flare up again.
Companies are eager
Is there a little light in the tunnel after all? Some confidence seems to have returned, at least among our clients. Customers are cautiously asking us about the possibilities of going on a (business) trip again in June and the coming months and with a lot of energy our teams are trying to answer all those questions or book trips for the coming months.
Furthermore, we hear from several SME customers that there is an urgent need to start traveling again, in order for their business to remain viable, and we try to answer these customers as best we can, using all restrictions and conditions.
Some requests are also coming in again within goMICE. Clients, even those who are having a harder time, are currently contacting us to look at possibilities around travel and events. What is possible, what is not possible and how to organize this in the best way. Read more about this in our Blog "5 tips for the new business meeting".
The (temporary) new business travel and meeting
Starting in June, most airlines are scaling up again, including Transavia, Lufthansa, Delta airlines and also KLM. Furthermore, KLM informed us during one of the meetings with them that they are heading for a 50% capacity fleet starting in quarter 3, subject of course to the "unlocks" by country. They too see an urgent need within SMEs to get back into travel, more so than within larger companies. The larger companies then often follow after a few weeks, sometimes after a few months again.
All in all, we will have to get used to the (for now) new situation and deal with the measures and restrictions. Positive as I always am, I prefer to look at the possibilities and opportunities. Strong together and on to more light in the tunnel for everyone, primarily in the area of health, but certainly also economically. We are ready for you! Always.
On behalf of the UNIGLOBE Alliance Travel and goMICE teams and management,
Anita van Maanen
