On the eve of an Olympic Games shrouded in uncertainty, one UK travel management company remains on high alert having been contracted to handle the international travel arrangements of some 400 officials and umpires from 30 different countries that are involved in Tokyo 2020.
Cheshire-based Review Travel, ranked 36th largest TMC in the UK, had already changed 800 travel arrangements when both the Olympics and Paralympics were postponed from 2020 to this summer but the effort required has not slowed.
“Of course we have been worried that the same thing might have happened to the event this year – or worse still – wouldn't go ahead at all, but we are here to provide a service for our customers,” says Christian Gleave, CEO of Review Travel.
The partnership is demonstrative of the perils involved in managing international travel in the current environment – and of the financial implications for client and TMC alike.
At the time of writing, more than 90 athletes, contractors, media and Games personnel had tested positive for Covid-19 in Japan, while competitors continue to withdraw from the event before even travelling to Tokyo having contracted the virus at home.
No fans will be watching from the stands and, as recently as Tuesday this week – just three days before the official opening ceremony and only a day before the action got underway in the football and softball events – Games chief Toshiro Muto could not rule out a last-minute cancellation of the sporting showpiece.
The uncertainty presents a logistical nightmare for organisations involved in the event’s running, with the complexity of international travel compounding the challenge for partners like Review Travel.
“If the event was cancelled our team would simply undertake all the cancellations, refunds and amendments that come with it whilst acting in the best interests of the client to minimise any financial effects,” says the TMC’s chief executive Christian Gleave.
“Sometimes you just have to take a chance, have blind faith and roll with the pandemic punches. We are with our clients every step of the way providing support and guidance and at the end of the day our priority has been keeping the client updated so they can reach an informed decision and to keep them and their employees safe.”
Frequent changes in airlines schedules have been a particular thorn in the TMC’s side, with flights for 60 passengers cancelled only a fortnight ago, for example.
“It was all hands on deck to find alternatives. This is the nature of the beast. As spectators are unable to travel to Japan due to government travel restrictions airlines have empty seats which can result in it not being economically viable to fly,” says Gleave.
Constant changes and the management of cancellations, obtaining refunds and re-bookings can expose both the TMC and client to work and costs that had not been accounted for. “It is very time consuming. We have rebooked one particular traveller eight times so that they can get to Japan. It’s a lot of work for a company to undertake, but that’s the TMC’s job.”
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has been overseeing the checking of necessary testing, vaccinations and quarantine arrangements for Review’s passengers, but the TMC ensures all reservations and reservation changes are communicated to the IOC.
Gleave was unable to reveal details of Review’s remuneration plan with its client, but Abby Penston, CEO of the Focus Travel Partnership of which the TMC is a member, advises corporates and clients to take reasonable precautionary measures to account for unexpected volumes of work or costs.
“Of course each client is going to be different, but we would always recommend TMCs ensure they are recompensed for each ticket change or transaction. Clients may want to cap that to protect themselves,” says Penston.
“Clients may have insurance or an underwriting body to fall back on, but in this climate, it is important to find out what is going to happen in the worst case scenarios, and a responsible TMC would guide clients through this.”
Penston adds: “Our partners have had to face not only the challenges of complex travel arrangements, made harder by Covid-19, but they have had to negotiate and manage their own financial risk if events and flights are cancelled and borders shut.”
For some TMCs, the pandemic has simply proved too much, with Kanoo Travel in the UK the latest to have ceased trading amid a landscape of consolidation.