So the hubbub has died down since the “no liquids” ruling was handed down by various transportation authorities in the US and UK, but what’s that going to do to flights? (So far, drop the prices bigtime, if a cursory check on kayak.com is any indication.) And what’s it going to do to travelling and by extension, the sales of travel guides?
The Bookseller asks around and gets some seriously negative answers. Rough Guides communications director Richard Trillo said: “If all this security nonsense is still going on by the October half-term holiday, that will greatly dent people’s [travel] plans for next year.” He predicted the last-minute city-break market would be hit hard. “People won’t plan weekend breaks and stag weekends in Barcelona if it’s going to start with farting around at the airport.”
Richard Samson, EMEA sales director at Lonely Planet, agreed: “If security checks take a very long time or are personally intrusive, there is a danger it will put people off travelling short-haul.” Rough Guides targets the city break market with its Directions series of guides; Lonely Planet’s standalone city guides series covers 45 locations. But Simon Willis, UK trade sales director at AA Publishing was doubtful that the security measures would have any lasting impact. “Initially it [worried us], but there’s already been quite an easing up on the procedures.” Airports are now allowing passengers to take hand-luggage on board, but it must be a single piece, of reduced size.