HELLOWORLD’S cruise bookings have slowed slightly during the crucial wave season, chief operating officer & executive director Cinzia Burnes (pictured) told Cruise Weekly, as the Iran war continues to impact the travel industry. Although Helloworld has still been taking a significant amount of reservations during the typically high booking season,...
HELLOWORLD’S cruise bookings have slowed slightly during the crucial wave season, chief operating officer & executive director Cinzia Burnes (pictured) told Cruise Weekly, as the Iran war continues to impact the travel industry.
Although Helloworld has still been taking a significant amount of reservations during the typically high booking season, Burnes said numbers were “a little lower” than the travel agency network would have expected at this time of year.
However, overall travel sentiment remains high, Burnes said, with a recent survey of Helloworld’s clients finding 57% are happy to “wait and see” how the war evolves before abandoning future travel plans.
As a majority of Helloworld travellers choose stability where possible, the overall message from Burnes toward travellers was to not cancel their trip.
The Helloworld survey showed only a minority of travellers choosing to reroute, and an even smaller total opting to cancel.
Burnes said half of all Helloworld stores have so far reported no war-related changes to current bookings, with only 27% reporting rerouting and other minor changes.
Only around 17% of stores have had cancellations.
“Our advice is, first of all, don’t cancel,” Burnes suggested.
“At the moment, given that most of the peak season starts in May-Jun, there is no panic.”
Travellers who are choosing to reroute are mostly being accommodated through North America, such as the United States and Canada, or Asia, through Singapore and Bangkok.
Burnes added that if the war carries on for longer than the handful of weeks forecasted, she predicts more travellers will choose to reallocate their trip to another destination, rather than cancel their booking entirely.
Helloworld would also pivot to promoting other destinations at that point, Burnes added.
She said fortunately, its network currently has very few travellers remaining in the Middle East, with one larger travelling group that was in Venice now safely back in Australia. MS
