Travel Weekly‘s editorial team have got an important message we’d like to share: can 2020 please end already?
We’d like a new year, please, as this one seems to be defective.
But in all seriousness, we’d like to address our readers and extend our support to our industry in these difficult times.
As a leading travel trade publication, with our fingers firmly pressed to the industry pulse, these past few months – and this past week, in particular – have been difficult to watch.
From seeing our domestic travel industry emerge from an unprecedented and vicious bushfire season with true Aussie grit, to seeing it pushed back down, along with the rest of the global travel industry, by this devastating virus.
We’ve had to make some divisive editorial decisions to make sure our community of hard-working travel and tourism professionals remain well-informed, but also have access to more light-hearted content.
We see you and we know you are hurting. We’re hurting too.
In this time of economic turmoil, social isolation and fear, it is our sense of community as a strong industry that will get us through. That’s why we hold our Women in Travel Awards, Travel DAZE and The Travel Awards each year. We love to see you all come together, and we love to celebrate your success.
We know reading the news right now is difficult, particularly with all the misinformation and fear-mongering firmly embedded in the mix.
We remain committed to providing you with the news you need to know each day, and with the resources you need to get you through this trying time.
And of course, we will NEVER stop showing you all the wacky and wonderful things happening in the travel world, like globetrotting cats, strange airline passenger behaviour and the time we found out that Qantas staff consider these very territorial falcons as their colleagues.
If you’re not feeling okay and/or need some guidance, Beyond Blue has some great tips HERE for coping with the COVID-19 pandemic, which we encourage everyone to read.
The Australian Federation of Travel Agents (AFTA) also has some great resources for travel agents seeking business advice, which you can find HERE.
And Australia’s consumer watchdog has got some great advice for business and consumer rights and obligations during this time. You can find that HERE.
Most importantly, we want to remind you that this time will pass and the world will keep on travelling, as it always has.
If you have any suggestions on what you’d like to see more of from us, or just want to have a chat, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us at editor@travelweekly.com.au.
