Holmes, co-hosting This Morning on Wednesday (29 July) with wife Ruth Langsford, gave his backing to agents during a segment discussing Covid-related travel woes with The Independent’s Simon Calder.

“You know what this does to me? This makes me think surely from here on in, it strengthens the hand of travel agents,” said Holmes, as the trio tackled viewers’ queries.

“The old fashioned thing where you could lift up the phone and call your local travel agent and say ‘look, what’s happening?’ and you’ve got a point of reference."

Calder agreed, saying instead of booking online or waiting at the end of a telephone line, holidaymakers could “just walk down the high street” for advice and reassurance.

“The more we get through this horrible, horrible crisis, the more it’s clear that booking a proper package holiday, through a real human travel agent who you can look straight in the eye, is a really good way to maximise your protection when things start going a little bit wrong,” he added.

Holmes ended the piece by telling viewers he believed booking with a travel agent was “the future” amid constant uncertainty during the coronavirus pandemic. 

“It was seen as the past - but it’s the future,” he said.