In a show of support for the travel industry, Victorian-based agent Linda Forster (pictured above) has created a moving video encouraging Australians to get #VaxReady.
The video, which is called ‘Travel’s COVID19 in 2021 – Dear Australia’, is part two of a clip Forster uploaded to YouTube in October 2020. You can watch part one HERE.
“I wanted to create a positive message for agents after what we’ve been through these past 20 months,” she told Travel Weekly in an exclusive interview.
“As an industry, we support the vaccination program and I wanted to remind Australians that travel agents are still here to book their travel recovery when the time is right.”
The new video is an impassioned plea for Australians to support travel professionals when the time is right to travel again and get vaccinated against COVID-19 so the industry, and those whose livelihoods depend on it, can begin to recover.
Despite the government’s plan to lift Australia’s international travel ban sometime next month, Forster said she’s yet to see a strong booking demand.
“There are still just too many unknowns,” she said.
“Especially in Victoria. We can’t travel past a certain distance, so international travel is not really on people’s minds.
“Client confidence has been rocked. My clients are not likely to plan a trip prior to the first half of next year and they’re unlikely to travel until the second half.”
Forster, who runs TravLin Travel in the Mornington Peninsula’s Langwarrin, has kept busy during the travel pause by advocating for financial support for the travel industry – including THIS great meme she made about JobKeeper – as well as waxing poetic about the industry’s struggles and urging the government to provide clarity for travel professionals HERE.
She has also teamed up with the Australian Federation of Travel Agents (AFTA) on a campaign to encourage Australians to get vaccinated, which you can read about HERE.
Watch part two of Forster’s video below. We have also uploaded an edited version to Travel Weekly‘s Facebook page for you to share with your clients and colleagues.
If you are seeking support during this tough time, you can join Travel Weekly’s industry network Facebook group Travel Trade Life Raft, where we post useful resources, encourage discussions and have a giggle at our favourite travel memes. To join, go HERE.
