Whilst I hate to sound pessimistic this is my honest no holds barred view of travel this year. Group travel will not happen. The vaccine is game changer without question. So the first thing a tour operator has to do is make sure all those travelling can prove vaccination...1/

....then have they got adequate insurance. How are ins coys going to deal with Covid in future and if no ins cover are you going to take that risk to travel and will that be acceptable to tour operator who have responsibility of all pax on board...2/

...schools poss get out clause is travelling in a bubble however every service provider - coach, hotel, restauranteur has to be in that bubble which is not feasible...3/

I personally wish that everyone would start being realistic and accept that it is highly highly doubtful any group bar individuals on their own and if borders open will travel this year.... 4

Better to start thinking how travel will change by 2022. It will change because of the pandemic and this will impact on the tour operators - group sizes - border controls - visits - hotel providers - meals, the list is endless and the risk assessment huge...5

So for what it’s worth if I was a tour operator which thank god I am not the focus for tour ops should be forget 2021 let’s look to get everything in place for 2022 so we can provide all our pax with confidence and security to join us in the knowledge we have ticked the boxes .6

...checked with our providers and done our recces in 2021 to make 2022 feasible. Just my own opinion but surely the security of passengers should be uppermost and I suppose I am fed up with seeing all and sundry expecting to be out this year when that is not going to happen...7

It is soul destroying, frustrating and abysmal for all those guides and coys who have doggedly built careers and businesses over the last 20 odd years - to see it all go down the drain...but 8

...for those prepared to weather the storm we will be back, hopefully working with service providers we can all get back to doing what we do best - delivering the best we possibly can for passengers confidently & secure in knowledge that pax will get best tour we can provide