60 seconds with…Ed Pyke, Operations Director / Board Director - Simpson Travel

How is the general feeling and feedback from your team members and your customers now?

The guest and team feedback have been overwhelmingly supportive. After the travel restrictions were lifted in early July (before being gradually re-imposed for different destinations over the past few months) we’ve managed to get thousands of people away on holiday. The overwhelming feedback has been one of gratification and thanks for just making it possible. This year every single booking has required far more logistical and administrational support to tackle issues such as country entry requirements, plane cancellations, timetable changes or accommodation changes. We are very pleased to have a loyal customer base who have trusted us with their holidays and been very thankful to have managed to get away in the very short window of opportunity they have had.

What role has technology played in supporting your re-opening plan?

One of the things this pandemic has done is accelerated business change. Since March we adapted our phone and computer systems to deliver a home working setup for every one of our colleagues and we’ve used Teams to ensure regular communication, catchups and briefings. We certainly wouldn’t have moved fully to this way of working if it wasn’t for the situation we faced this year. We are also investing in building an app to transfer a lot of our pre-departure communication, notifications and information into a single vault of information for travellers, thereby cutting down on some of the pre-printed information we give once someone is on holiday.

What market trends are you seeing since re-opening?

Guests fundamentally want to be reassured on a few different points. The first is that you have considered and taken their safety and security seriously, you should have documented risk assessments and plans that cover your whole supply chain and be able to present this in a consumer-friendly way. The second is to limit the long lead time financial risk that a guest has to invest in to purchase an experience. It is necessary to use your supplier relationships to negotiate the most flexible payment terms and provide your guests with refundable options should their travel be disrupted. We think that boutique hotels and villas are one of the most resilient travel options in a pandemic market, particularly the ones you can hop across the channel and drive to once borders reopen!

Where are the opportunities for newly redundant travel professionals currently? 

There are certainly two truths in this pandemic, the industry is always going to need talented professionals and the industry will recover. If you focus on explaining your key behaviours and attitude this is far more important than past skills. You may wish to take a look at ‘shoe in the door’ roles such as maternity cover or part-time positions. You should also consider sister industries. At a couple of points in my career, I’ve moved between overseas travel and UK hospitality, both industries are about delivering fantastic memories and experiences for guests, never underestimate your transferable skills. 

What advice do you have for anyone who now finds themselves redundant?

Keep moving forward, take a rest and recharge for a week but then treat unemployment as if it is a job. Revamp your CV, update your LinkedIn profile but most importantly use your network and ask for help. Reach out to all your past colleagues, recruiters and followers to ask for help. Perhaps someone can introduce you to a company, recruiters may know about positions that are yet to come onto the market and former colleagues can write you a testimonial, take a second look at your CV or conduct interview practice with you.