'I just don't know what to do' - one agent's take on DfT's latest travel advisory

Sophie explained that last month the agency made £8,000 in commission. “I was so happy,” she said. “And then we paid out £8,200 in cancellations.

“On top of that I have to pay all my staff wages. How much longer do they expect us to survive? I’ve got 11 staff – I don’t want my staff losing their jobs.

“Oyster Travel has always bucked the trend – we’ve always managed to stay buoyant when others haven’t been as lucky. But this is different. I cant keep paying money out and having nothing coming in,” she added quietly.

Her voice broke. “It’s just hit me,” she sobbed. “ I just don’t know what to do.”

Sophie’s words could be those of one of hundreds of travel agents across the UK, many of whom are facing closure or redundancies as the government continues to refuse to acknowledge the extraordinary challenges facing the sector.

“We’ve had some enquiries but I don’t even know where to send people this winter,” Sophie says. “Not everyone has the money for the Caribbean.”

This time last year the agency, a former Freedom member, was dealing with the collpase of Thomas Cook. I visited the team as part of the 2020 Top 50 Travel Agencies in January - at the time the team told me it had been some of the most heartbreaking and stressful months of their lives.

Sophie says those months now pale in comparison. “The Freedom situation was awful. But this is worse,” she says helplessly. “There is just no end in sight.”