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April 01 2020
It’s a word that is being used regularly at the moment, but these times are truly ‘unprecedented’. The travel industry has not known anything like this global situation - as such the guidelines and advice are changing almost on a daily basis. We’ll try to cover relevant info here regularly.
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Published: April 01 2020
It’s a word that is being used regularly at the moment, but these times are truly ‘unprecedented’. The travel industry has not known anything like this global situation - as such the guidelines and advice are changing almost on a daily basis. We are doing everything we can to provide solutions for those with existing bookings and disrupted travel plans. Operators and suppliers we work with are stoically managing the far-reaching repercussions of the travel restrictions. We’ll try to cover relevant info here regularly.
The UK Government’s advice against non-essential travel abroad will stay in force until 16 April at the earliest and may be extended.
ABTA, The Association of British Travel Agents has urged travellers to accept refund credit notes from their agents – essentially an IOU that can either be redeemed on a future trip or which is due to be paid back by the end of July 2020. We are fully bonded and accredited by the The Travel Trust Association (TTA) which is the only travel network in the UK to guarantee 100% financial protection to the consumer. This usually ensures that you can have total confidence in us, knowing that the money you are spending is safe and protected - but in these very unusual circumstances the situation is changing regularly and we are doing our best to secure the right outcome for our clients.
We are still taking bookings for later in the year. Indeed, most operators and suppliers are releasing flexible terms and conditions for the future. Many of us will be desperate for a little break somewhere, whether in the UK or further afield, and the hope is that things will start moving again in mid-May but this is not yet confirmed.
It is times like this which highlight the benefits of booking with a travel agent like us, rather than via online booking sites. In these unsettling and challenging times, we are your voice and advocate when it comes to navigating and negotiating with suppliers - we can’t stress enough how this personal service is essential within the travel industry, and will be even more so looking ahead to post Covid-19 travel.
If you have a trip booked and don’t yet have insurance, it’s important to buy a policy as soon as possible, although some travel insurance companies have stopped selling cover altogether. Take into account what sort of trip you are going on, and check, and triple check the small print of your policy.
“Since we’re being forced to slow down, let’s stop and consider taking time to reconfigure our plans, and decide whether we can possibly afford to delay instead of cancelling and, in doing so, surrender a little to those who’ve lost all their revenue. Our efforts might even mean that this time will eventually be thought of as the Restoring Twenties.”
[Extract from journalist, Juliet Kinsman’s article on Condé Nast Traveller which discusses the issues of looking after clients and supporting suppliers and partners globally.]
GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/travel-advice-novel-coronavirus
World Health Organisation - WHO.INT: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/travel-advice
ABTA: https://www.abta.com/news/coronavirus-outbreak
For latest figures for every country reporting cases of Covid-19: worldometers.info.
[last updated: 02/04/20]
Louisa founded Go Bespoke with her husband, Marc, in 2013. Whether it’s a boutique hotel, villa, bar or restaurant, Louisa has her finger on the pulse when it comes to the latest openings and hotspots for our clients. She has travelled extensively in Greece and the Balearics, and is especially clued up on all things Ibiza and Mykonos. Louisa is also a qualified interior architect and has an unrivalled eye for detail and stylish design - so as well as an unforgettable experience, you can also be guaranteed of an Instagram-worthy camera roll at the end of your Go Bespoke trip!
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