Problem for agents trying to re-book Sri Lanka holidays

Agents scrambling to rebook clients whose holidays to Sri Lanka have been cancelled since the country was added to the Foreign Office list of no-go destinations might struggle to find affordable alternatives for departures in the next week or so, said AITO.

The specialist operators’ organisation said it was ‘quite possible’ customers would have to pay more to switch to other destinations in Asia due to high demand.

Also, it warned that customers who have paid a deposit for holidays to Sri Lanka due to depart later in the year might have to wait for refunds, meaning they might not be able to book alternative trips.

"It is unlikely that the deposit will be repaid until much nearer the time, operators will be considering their position on a weekly basis, as will the FCO [Foreign Office]," said a spokeswoman.

The FCO yesterday changed its travel advice to Sri Lanka to warn against all but essential travel to the country following the Easter Sunday bombings, which killed 253 people including eight Britons. It said further attacks were ‘very likely’ and warned these could be indiscriminate and in areas visited by foreigners.

Its advice has prompted operators to offer refunds or alternative holidays to clients due to travel soon, but some – like Travel 2 – are only offering refunds or changes to trips due to depart in the next 14 days on a rolling day by day basis until the FCO advice changes.

Some tour operators, including If Only, have suspended their programmes to Sri Lanka until as late as the end of July, except for transit passengers. Customers are being offered a full refund or an alternative destination.

"At present our priority is to support these passengers and we will be in touch in due course with those travelling from the 1st of August 2019. The safety of our customers is of the upmost importance and we will continue to work closely with our partners to keep our customers informed," said CEO Andy Freeth.

However, Jean Marc Flambert, the former director of Sri Lanka tourism in the UK, pleaded with agents to try to ‘hang on’ before cancelling any bookings to Sri Lanka.

In a Youtube video, Flambert said agents should try to only cancel holidays for immediate travel. "Only change the bookings that you have to, and by that I mean in the next one or two weeks," he said.

He said the people of Sri Lanka were waiting to welcome visitors and that, with help from the UK travel trade, it would ‘bounce back’.

TUI is flying all customers in Sri Lanka home tomorrow, but other tour operators are giving clients the option to remain if they feel safe.

Wendy Wu Tours said it had given all customers currently in Sri Lanka the option to cut short their holidays, but it said all had chosen to remain.

However, the operator has cancelled all further departures up to the end of June, giving those who’d already booked the option to delay their trips, transfer to another destination paying only the difference in tour or flight costs or cancel free of charge.

"In the interim we will continue to monitor the situation carefully with our extensive network of ground operators, tour leaders and contacts in Sri Lanka as well as working in strict accordance to current FCO travel advice," said a spokesman.

FCO Advice for travellers who decide to continue with their trip to Sri Lanka is to ‘keep a low profile; act discreetly; avoid crowds; observe any curfews in place; avoid places of worship/places where those from the UK/Europe/USA gather; be vigilant, especially around the date of any significant religious occasions; subscribe to FCO email alerts and the FCO Twitter feed for updates; keep your mobile charged and ensure that emergency numbers are programmed into your phone; be discreet on social media about your travelling/social plans; keep family/colleagues posted ref your whereabouts/when you plan to return; always try to have a Plan B in mind for wherever you are’.