Travel is unlike other industries – it sells dreams

The Man Who Pays His Way: After a select committee grilling, Simon Calder looks to an more thoughtful industry when it finally begins to recover

Running short of fresh entertainment? Down to your last box set? Unwilling to sign up for yet another expensive subscription service?

Allow me to suggest some free online, er, entertainment, courtesy of Parliament TV.

“I’m playing Lockdown Refund Bingo at the moment. I am owed money by a whole range of travel providers, including British Airways, easyJet, Ryanair, Tui, P&O Cruises and GWR – who at least had the decency to tell me they were working on the case.

“The only number that’s come up so far is Premier Inn.”

Agreed, that sort of routine is unlikely to be syndicated any time soon, but I was doing my best. On Wednesday morning I found myself performing as the warm-up act for the great and good of the travel industry, in an online session of the Transport Select Committee.

During the shutdown of travel for anything remotely resembling the purposes of fun, MPs are considering the implications of coronavirus for transport and tourism: from short-term effects to long-term lessons.

Should you be summoned to appear before a select committee, be ready for something that feels like a mandatory job interview for a post you never applied for and really don’t want. And however well you prepare, expect an unexpected question.

Take Chris Loder, MP for West Dorset. Since his constituency is close to Exeter airport, home for the late-lamented Flybe, I had anticipated a question on whether Covid-19 was responsible for tipping the regional airline over the edge.

Instead: “Do you feel the airlines, in particular British Airways, in effect left British citizens abroad as a negotiating point to get government funding for commercial support to bring them home subsequently?”

While conspiracy theories have blossomed in this anxious atmosphere, that was a new one on me. “No, I’ve seen absolutely no evidence of that and I would imagine the airlines would deplore any such suggestion.”

But I did get a chance to say why action was needed to protect consumers who have seen their plans torn up.

Travel isn’t like other industries, I explained – it sells dreams. You commit your money months in advance and you take delivery only when you turn up at the airport.

“Therefore it is absolutely essential as a consumer to know that you are either going to get the trip you paid for, or you are going to get your money back.”

The parlous state of financial protection and the calamitous job losses in the travel industry inevitably cast a dark cloud over the parliamentary proceedings.

“What does the future of the travel industry look like after this pandemic,” asked Robert Largan MP.

Time for a silver lining.

“Humanity has shown over the years that we are adventurous, that we are curious, that we are restless – and that we want to go and explore the world.

“In the past 25 years, we have had wider horizons than ever.

“Tourism is an enormous force for good worldwide, because it tends to transfer wealth from richer countries to poorer countries and create millions of jobs.

“I have no doubt that, were we to reconvene in 10 years time, we would be talking hopefully about a more thoughtful travel industry, where the health of the planet gets a lot more respect.”

While they moved on, and I stayed where I have been since what feels like the dawn of time but was actually 23 March 2020.