TRAVERSE Issue 18 - June 2020 | Page 24

“They are telling us that they are not prepared to commit to travel because of the uncertain situation with when the travel restrictions will be relaxed,” explained Jackson of Compass. “Many are also concerned for their financial situation with job loss and retirement savings dropping with the market downturn. “Travel Insurance is also a big concern for our customers as Insurers are refusing to cover any claims that are related to epidemic / pandemic cancelations, delays or loss of deposits etc,” he continued. It is becoming evident as this situation continues that insurance is becoming a greater problem. Reputable businesses will always follow local laws and ensure a full refund is returned where required and during normal operation this is business as usual however, during a downturn with mass requests for refunds it often sees a great reverse in the flow of cash, in times like this all business needs to maintain and conserve cash. “We made the decision to offer all of our customers, who were booked on tours that have been cancelled due to the travel restrictions, a full refund, as opposed to a credit to rebook like most of the travel industry has done,” Jackson went on, explaining that Compass had made this decision as they knew that locking away large deposits during these uncertain times when people need TRAVERS