Goway, Insight, Trafalgar, Collette and more have updates, suspensions

TORONTO — With global travel restrictions being announced daily due to COVID-19, a growing number of tour operators have announced updated travel policies and/or a suspension of operations.

GOWAY

For clients who have only paid a deposit, in the current circumstances they can defer travel and transfer their deposit to another destination or date of travel. Deposits are non-refundable but are transferrable.

For situations where Goway, on the client’s behalf, has paid supplemental deposits/payments to third-party suppliers, including airlines, the penalties of those suppliers will apply.

If clients have paid their trip in full and are within 60 days of travel, Goway has provided a general guide to travel advisories and how they impact its policies:

Stage 1

• U.S. Department of State advice is a level 1 or 2
• Government of Canada Travel Advisory is at ‘exercise a high degree of caution’

If you booked on/before 2 March 2020, our regular Booking Conditions apply.

If you booked on/after 3 March 2020, our Booking Conditions apply; however we will offer a Future Travel Credit for 25% of the cancellation fees (less any 3rd party fees) provided you cancel within 5 days of departure.

Stage 2

• U.S. Department of State advice changes to ‘Reconsider travel’
• Government of Canada Travel Advisory changes to ‘Avoid non-essential travel’

If you booked prior to 3 March 2020, our regular Booking Conditions apply; alternatively you can postpone your trip or move to another Goway destination (subject to any 3rd party fees)

Stage 3

• U.S. Department of State advice changes to ‘Do not travel’
• Government of Canada Travel Advisory changes to ‘Avoid All Travel’

If you booked prior to 3 March 2020, our regular Booking Conditions apply; however we will offer a Future Travel Credit for the value of the cancellation fees (less any 3rd party fees)

COLLETTE

Collette has cancelled all scheduled tours through and including April 15, 2020.

Departures to Italy will be cancelled through and including April 30, 2020, with normal operations resuming on May 1, 2020.

Departures to China will be cancelled through Aug. 31, 2020, with normal operations resuming on Sept. 1, 2020.

Guests travelling on affected departures to these destinations will be contacted and offered the option to either travel on an alternate date and tour of their choice, or be provided a refund.

“As we continue to monitor the situation we will adjust accordingly to keep guests and employees safe,” says Collette’s president, Jaclyn Leibl-Cote.

EXODUS

Exodus Travels has announced it will suspend all tours departing between now and May 15, 2020 in response to the global travel restrictions put in place to contain the spread of COVID-19.

All travellers booked on tours departing between March 17 and May 15 will be eligible for a 110% travel voucher, which can be used on any booking made by March 31, 2021 for travel prior to March 31, 2022.

The company says it is currently reaching out to affected travellers according to proximity of departure, to discuss future options. It is also urging travellers who booked through a travel agent to contact their advisor directly.

Exodus adds that it will continue to monitor local conditions and all relevant governmental advice and will review all trips, and update passengers a minimum of 30 days prior to departure.

CIE TOURS

CIE Tours has suspended the operation of its Italy and Iceland departures through May 15, as well as all Ireland and UK departures through April 30.

At this time all other tours are operational, but CIE will be updating its website and contacting customers when and if this changes.

Its customer service team will be assisting all guests affected by these cancellations in rebooking the land portion of their travel. If airline tickets were purchased through CIE Tours, penalties and any changes in airfare are dependent on airline terms and conditions and will be reviewed on a case by case basis. Different terms and conditions apply to group bookings. Contact your group advisor for more information.

Go to https://www.cietours.com/global/travel-update.

INSIGHT VACATIONS

Insight Vacations is temporarily suspending all guided vacations across the globe for trips departing up to and until April 30, 2020.

All guests currently booked on a guided vacation during this temporary suspension are eligible for either of the following:

• Change their travel dates or destination to any trip in 2020 or 2021, without penalty on the land portion of their trip. Any savings applied to the original booking, up to 15%, will be transferred to the new trip selected.

• Elect for a travel credit in the full amount paid for the land portion of the trip, redeemable against Insight Vacations or another TTC brand (Luxury Gold, Trafalgar, Costsaver, Uniworld, U by Uniworld) for travel to any destination before Dec. 31, 2021.

For all bookings departing from May 1, 2020 (and more than 30 days from March 16), or for any new bookings being made, Insight is temporarily offering a fee waiver on the land portion of the trip until 30 days prior to departure should guests wish to change their dates or travel to a different destination.

Go to https://www.insightvacations.com/ca/information/travel-update for more details.

TRAFALGAR

Like sister brand Insight Vacations, Trafalgar is also temporarily suspending all guided holidays around the world for trips departing up to and until April 30, 2020.

All guests currently booked on a guided holiday during this temporary suspension are eligible to either:

• Elect for a travel credit in the full amount paid (without penalty on the land portion) for the suspended holiday package (land only or land/air) redeemable against a new booking for travel to any destination departing before December 31, 2021.

Please note: Normal penalties apply for full cancellation without rebooking or cancellations made more than 30 days before departure. These policies are subject to change at any time and are not retroactive for bookings cancelled prior to March 16, 2020.

For guests with existing bookings departing from May 1, 2020 (and more than 30 days from today), or for any new bookings being made, Trafalgar is temporarily offering a fee waiver on the land portion of the trip until 30 days prior to departure should guests wish to change their dates or travel to a different destination. Airlines may have different policies and penalty charges, which are the guest’s responsibility.

Go to https://www.trafalgar.com/en-ca/resources/coronavirus-travel-update for terms and conditions.

CONTIKI

Contiki is suspending all trips around the world due to depart on or before April 30, 2020.

It is reaching out to affected travellers personally to help them rebook, free of charge, on to a new trip in any destination for travel any time during 2020 or 2021, with a full credit of all monies paid redeemable against their revised trip with Contiki.

Travellers currently on trips in progress with Contiki have the option to continue their travels (where possible to do so) or return home early and receive a pro-rata travel credit for the unused land portion of their tip.

For travellers with existing bookings departing from May 1, and more than 30 days from March 18 for other destinations, or any new bookings being made, Contiki has temporarily suspended the cancellation charges until 30 days prior to departure should they wish to change their dates or travel to a different destination.

To read Contiki’s FAQs, go to https://www.contiki.com/ca/en/resources/travel-alerts#modalOpen.

UNIWORLD

Uniworld, part of The Travel Corporation, is suspending all European itineraries until April 23. Clients who have booked a reservation during this period may rebook their travel dates to any 2020 or 2021 cruise, or receive a future cruise credit eligible to be used during the next 24 months.

For bookings after April 23, guests can now cancel up to 14 days prior to their cruise and rebook on any 2020 or 2021 cruise without penalty, or have the option to rebook with one of Uniworld’s TTC sister brands for 2020 to 2021.

For more information go to https://www.uniworld.com/ca/already-booked/travel-information/.

HOLA SUN HOLIDAYS

Following Air Transat’s announcement that it is suspending of all flights to Cuba from March 21 until April 30, Hola Sun is offering impacted travellers a future travel voucher, valid for 24 months from their original travel date.

The voucher will be automatically applied to their reservation; there is no need to contact the tour operator regarding this credit.

For passengers still in destination, Air Transat is making arrangements to guarantee that all travellers gradually return home. Hola Sun is asking clients to contact their destination representative at their hotel or by phone. If they’d prefer to return earlier than planned, they can do so free of charge, subject to availability.

Please note that if clients decide to return earlier, they will not be refunded for any unused portion of their trip.

More updates from Globus, G Adventures, Intrepid and Tauck can be found here:

https://www.travelweek.ca/news/all-globus-brands-to-suspend-travel-until-april-30/

https://www.travelweek.ca/news/intrepid-g-adventures-and-tauck-temporarily-suspend-operations/