How Hays Travel is bouncing back from the coronavirus crisis with refund guarantees and UK breaks

The owners of the Sunderland-based travel company Hays Travel have set out how they will bounce back from the coronavirus outbreak which has left the tourism industry in crisis.

John and Irene Hays have spoke about how the company is recovering and reassuring customers after the lockdown.

Hays Travel, which took over Thomas Cook late last year, have launched their “peace of mind” deal where customers will receive a 100% refund on selected holidays should they decide to change or cancel their plans.

Irene commented: “We think that people are concerned about booking holidays and since launch, the deal has been incredibly popular.

“We think that this reassurance of getting a full refund that is appealing to customers as it has been an incredibly difficult time for everyone.

John added: “It could be deals like this that get the travel industry up and running again.”

The couple also explained that despite the uncertainty surrounding the industry at the moment, signs of positivity are breaking through.

John said: “It is worth pointing out that while the travel industry is shedding jobs, Hays is actually recruiting right now so that shows where we are at.

“It will depend on certain factors going forward but there are signs of optimism as we are beginning to see an increase for bookings later in the year.

“We believe that if quarantine measures are lifted, especially for popular European destinations we could see a bigger increase in the near future.”

When asked if there was added demand for holidays in the UK, Irene commented: “Primarily, the majority of holidays are for destinations abroad but we understand that some will want to remain in the UK.”

John added: “We are actually up on new bookings for holidays in the UK with most wanting holiday parks and log cabins to ensure social distancing can be maintained.

“The beaches in this country are great when the weather is nice, however, we all know the British weather is variable and people want to escape that.”

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