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Retail & Consumer

Caernarfon travel agent's 'rollercoaster ride' year of almost zero income

Ann Jones runs Teithiau Menai in Caernarfon and despite being hit hard by the crisis she says she is 'staying positive'

Ann Jones runs Teithiau Menai in Caernarfon

A travel agent says a “rollercoaster” pandemic-hit year has seen her make no money for 12 months – but vowed to stay positive as she prepares to open her store.

Ann Jones has been at Teithiau Menai in Caernarfon for 25 years, running the company for 15 of those.

But like so many in the travel sector, the business has been devastated by Covid, with most of the past year spent handling refunds and rebookings.

Ann has had her two staff on furlough for many months but she hasn’t taken a wage herself for months, relying instead on savings she had put aside for a now-delayed retirement.

While she can reopen on April 12 with other retail, there is no certainty she can trade as normal as 90% of her business relies on overseas travel.

She said: “It has been a rollercoaster ride and things change every week.

“Bookings are coming in but mainly for late this year and next year because at the moment no one knows what will happen.

“The good thing is people are coming to us because they trust us and they then have a contact if they need to change plans, but so much of our business at the moment is refunds and rebooking, there isn’t really income coming in as we don’t get paid until people depart.