Sipping a latte in the morning sun outside Waterloo Tea, Jo Baldwin is not the haggard, pandemic-weary travel consultant I was expecting to meet.

Never has there been a tougher time for the travel industry. International passenger numbers are down by between 60% and 80% on last year. Only last month Tailor Made Travel (with a branch in Penarth) slipped into administration. But Jo is all calm and smiles as we discuss the state of her affairs.

"This is an extremely resilient industry. We've had massive crises in the past and we've taken it all in our stride," she tells me.

Taking things in her stride comes naturally to Jo. Prior to opening her Penarth-based travel consultancy, Jo had worked extensively in the industry. From running a luxury island-hopping boat tour of Croatia to guiding overland adventure excursions across India, she is no stranger to unforeseen upheaval.

The industry equips its practitioners with a thick-skin - and Jo appears to be primed to cope with anything this increasingly turbulent world might throw at her.

Optimism and resilience seem to radiate from across the table.

"I think unprecedented has been used more times in the last sixth months than I would have liked. But when the going gets tough…"

"You just have to look at the advantages. It has shown to people the importance of having a travel agent. We've heard so many horror stories that a travel agent would have been able to avoid. And in times of confusion and uncertainty, people need good advice from a knowledgeable source. That's what people like me can provide."

I am initially suspicious on Jo's attitude. How can a travel consultant, whose business has presumably been all-but crippled by COVID, be this upbeat?

I accuse her of projecting a merry facade that masks a far grimmer picture.

"Oh don't get me wrong, it has been really tough. I had 100 bookings affected in some way by COVID. Of those 100 bookings, 93% are totally resolved - so either fully refunded or postponed. The remaining 7% are just waiting on airline refunds.

"But think about it: I work on commission-only, so when I'm working around the clock to get customers their money back I'm literally working my arse off to lose money.

"But you can either mope around and moan or think: what am I going to do to make the situation better? You have to get on with it because you genuinely care for you clients. What else can you do?"

But Jo is aware that the industry is not out of the woods yet, that the aftershock is often more devastating than the initial blast. I probe for how she foresees the next 18 months playing out.

"It will also accelerate trends we've already seen in travel - sustainability, environmentalism and all that. Opportunities are opening up all the time.

"People have been very supportive and it's really a matter of adapting to suit the situation and the industry is buzzing with amazing ideas on how to move forward - and it will move forward.

"At the end of the day, everyone loves a holiday."

If you love a holiday and are looking to book one, contact Jo here:

Jo Baldwin Travel Consultancy