TORONTO — With COVID-19 still a global pandemic, tour operators have been forced to re-evaluate their plans for the coming weeks, with many extending their period of suspension and updating their travel policies to now include the postponed Passion Play in Oberammergau.

COLLETTE

All tours are currently cancelled through and including April 15, 2020.

For specific destinations and additional cancelled tour departure dates, see below:

Schengen-Europe region:

Tours will be cancelled through and including April 19, 2020 in the following destinations: Germany. Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

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

Departures to Greece (for those featuring a cruise aspect only) will be cancelled through and including April 30, 2020, with normal operations resuming on May 1, 2020.

China:

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

Oberammergau Passion Play:

The 2020 Oberammergau Passion Play has been postponed and has been rescheduled to begin in May 2022. Guests who are scheduled to travel to Oberammergau for the Passion Play will be contacted and be provided with all available options.

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

GLOBUS FAMILY OF BRANDS

After announcing a voluntary suspension of travel until April 30, 2020 across all its brands (Globus, Cosmos, Monograms and Avalon Waterways), Globus family of brands has extended its suspension period through June 30, 2020.

For travellers impacted by the suspension, the company has launched a new Peace of Mind plan. Through this plan, the company is now allowing all currently booked travellers between March 14 and June 30, 2020 to move travel dates easily and without incurring cancellation fees, land or airline penalties.

Clients are free to move their booking to any Globus family of brands vacation for any destination. If they are not ready to choose their new vacation, the full value paid to Globus will be provided via a Letter of Credit, redeemable for any future 2020, 2021 or 2022 departure, and is transferrable.

Plus, the Plan includes an additional bonus credit of up to $200 per person, in addition to their Letter of Credit, redeemable for any future travel through 2022.

• Bonus credit of $200 for Avalon Waterways
• Bonus credit of $100 for Globus
• Bonus credit of $50 for Cosmos, Escapes by Globus & Monograms

Oberammergau:

Globus family of brands has enacted a policy to enable all of its guests with 2020 Oberammergau bookings to be the first to reserve their spots for 2022 at their current price when the performances resume.

The following options are now available for these guests:

• Reserve your spot for a 2022 Oberammergau tour or cruise date at their 2020 land/cruise package price. Note that new 2022 dates will become available in May, and at that time Globus family of brands will re-protect your current booking on a similar date in 2022.
• Enact the Peace of Mind Travel Plan, providing you with a Letter of Credit for monies paid on your current Oberammergau booking, redeemable on any Globus family of brands vacation, destination or departure.
• You can cancel your Oberammergau booking by declining the rebooking or Peace of Mind Plan and receive a full refund of monies paid to Globus family of brands.

For upcoming travel (2020 departure through June 30):

With the temporary suspension of operations, Globus is offering options to move travel dates or cancel bookings for travel through June 30, 2020 as follows:

• Affected guests can move their vacation to any other itinerary, destination, brand or date in 2020, 2021 or 2022 without penalty and with an additional re-booking credit through its Peace of Mind Travel Plan. To expedite the process, Globus family of brands has automatically assigned this booking protection in the form of a Letter of Credit to all guests with upcoming departures.
• Guests can opt out of the Peace of Mind Plan via its regular cancelled vacation process.

For travel beyond June 30, 2020, Globus family of brands is continuing its policy waiving cancellation penalties until 30 days prior to departure.

GOWAY

Due to the high volume of phone calls, Goway is asking that in the first instance for clients to email at info@goway.com with their booking reference, full name and destination.

Those departing in the next 30 days (from March 23) should contact Goway to discuss their options or conditions that may apply to their booking.

Those 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. Their deposit is non-refundable, but it is transferrable.

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

INTREPID

Intrepid Group has extended its suspension period for global operations until at least May 31, 2020.

The company has updated its booking terms and conditions, as follows:

Tours departing from March 16-May 31, 2020:

• If customers have booked a tour departing between March 16-May 31, 2020, they will receive a credit of 110% to put towards an alternative tour with a departure date before April 30, 2022 (excluding flights and insurance). This travel credit will be automatically applied to their Intrepid booking.

Tours departing from June 1, 2020:

• At this time all tours departing from June 1, 2020 will continue as planned. If there are changes of if a trip is suspended, clients will be notified directly for Intrepid’s customer care team or their travel agent.
• If a client chooses to suspend their tour departing from June 1, 2020, they will receive a credit of monies paid to use towards an alternative tour with a departure date before April 30, 2022. For future travel, full payment is due 21 days prior to the departure of their trip.

TRAFALGAR

Oberammergau:

For all bookings that included tickets to the 2020 Oberammergau Passion Play, which has been postponed until May 2022, Trafalgar has already reserved their spot for the newly released dates, at 2020 prices.

If guests are unable to travel in 2022, they have the following rebooking options:

• Choose to travel on any trip, destination or date through 2021 without penalty on the land portion (the Oberammergau portion will be fully refunded)
• Receive a future travel credit for the full amount paid on the land portion to be used toward a Trafalgar or other TTC company (Insight Vacations, Luxury Gold, Costsaver, Brendan, Uniworld or U by Uniworld) trip through 2021 (the Oberammergau portion will be fully refunded)

Please note that trips in 2022 will depart five days later than the 2020 departure (ie. Trips departing Sept. 1, 2020 would depart Sept. 6, 2022).

For full terms and conditions go to https://www.trafalgar.com/en-ca/resources/oberammergau-travel-update/.

For bookings departing before or on April 30, 2020:

Trafalgar has temporarily suspended all guided vacations across the globe for trips departing up and until April 30, 2020. All guests currently booked on a guided vacation during this suspension are eligible for either:

• 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 (without penalty on the land portion) for the suspended vacation package (land only or land/air) redeemable against a new booking for travel to any destination departing before Dec. 31, 2021.

For bookings departing from May 1, 2020:

For guests with existing bookings departing from May 1, 2020 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.

Please note that normal penalties apply for full cancellation without rebooking or cancellations made more than 30 days before departure.