A BRADFORD travel agent has called for clarity and better communication from the government after flights to Spain, Balearic and Canaray Islands were suspended.

Tony Mann, director of Idle Travel based at Morrisons Shopping Complex at Five Lane Ends, says he is frustrated after a chaotic last few days.

He has called for better communication from the government to the travel industry and would even like to see the appointment of a dedicated travel minister.

His views echo Jet2 who have suspended flights to mainland Spain and the Balearic and Canary Islands on government advice.

The Leeds Bradford Airport based airline announced on Tuesday it is suspending flights and holidays to Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura, Lanzarote, Majorca, Menorca and Ibiza up to, and including August 9.

Bradford Telegraph and Argus:

This follows Monday’s announcement that Jet2 had suspended flights and holidays to its destinations in mainland Spain.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office move came after Downing Street warned "no travel is risk-free" after a coronavirus quarantine requirement for people arriving in the UK from Spain was reintroduced.

Jet2 last night announced it has also suspended flights and holidays to Larnaca and Paphos in Cyprus. 

Mr Mann says some of his holidaymakers have swapped upcoming trips to Spain for trips to Greece and Turkey following this week's announcements.

He said: "It's been chaotic and manic, I suppose really.

"It's just frustrating, altering the advice twice in 48 hours is not good. We heard through the press.

"The first notification came out on Saturday night when we were all closed. If it's not safe to travel somewhere, then that's fine and understandable.

"For us as an industry we need clarity and guidance. They (government) should be working with the travel industry.

"We need effective communication. It's a hard enough job as it is. They make a difficult situation harder.

The communication from the government has not been good. They could make it easier

"We had to ring people on Saturday night telling them not to go to the airport on the Sunday and then had to do the same thing on Monday.

"We have got about 14 passengers left in Spain at the moment.

"We are having people who have booked to go to Spain next month and they are still in limbo."

Mr Mann added business has been good since his store was allowed to reopen last month.

A number of safety measures have been brought in at Idle Travel's store. These have included limiting the number of people in store at any one time, having two, rather than five sales desks with perspex screens installed, operating on an appointment basis and new cleaning protocols.

Mr Mann said: "Over the past six to eight weeks we have had a steady increase in bookings.

"It's been quite buoyant, but nothing like it would normally be.

"But people should not expect to have the same sort of holiday as in the past at the moment, it's going to be completely different.

Summer 2021 is selling really, really well

The FCO updated its travel advice for visits to Spain, saying: "The FCO advise against all non-essential travel to Spain, including the Balearic and Canary Islands, based on the current assessment of Covid-19 risks in the country."

Idle Travel is a member of the Advantage Travel Partnership, the largest consortium of independent travel agents in the UK.