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LET’S TALK TRAVEL®
Sister & Brother team, Ann Anglesea
& Howard Davies, Directors of
Delmar World & Perfect Cruises
In the light of the current Covid pandemic, we asked our clients
to tell us what concerns they have about taking their next holiday.
This is what they told us:
1. Heath Risk and the Journey
The all-too-familiar social distancing, protective screens and mask
wearing are mandatory in airports with enhanced and regular
cleaning throughout the building. Limited numbers of people are
allowed in security and any areas where crowds would normally
gather, so allow more time to move through. Most airports only
allow ticketed passengers into the airport building.
Important to know:
Depending on your destination, there will be Border Control
requirements around Covid and health safety. This will usually
involve Passenger Locator Forms (to be submitted prior to travel)
and/or Covid tests on arrival.
For further information go to www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice
2. Holiday Experience Reduced
Many are concerned that the balance of safety measures will have a
negative impact on their overall holiday enjoyment; however, many
of these changes should not be intrusive.
Hotels and ships adhere to a high level of continuous cleanliness,
focusing on highly used public areas as well as telephones, door
handles, lift buttons, etc. Social distancing is made easier by reduced
capacity; table service replaces buffets; and cruise ships in particular
have hospital grade filtration air conditioning systems.
Evening entertainment, spas and swimming pool areas are open
but with excellent behind-the-scenes care to ensure minimum risk.
Of course, there will be variations - depending on the country
regulations and accommodation - but a good travel agent will be
able to help with this.
3. Travel Insurance
includes some level of cover for Covid-19 is possible, there are very
few - in fact, we know of only one - that covers all of the following:
• If you are diagnosed with Covid-19
• If a family/household member is diagnosed with Covid-19,
meaning you have to self-isolate
• If you’ve been told to self-isolate by NHS but haven’t been tested
• If your hotel closes while you are there
• If the Government changes its advice before you travel
• If your destination restricts its borders before you travel for
reasons relating to the pandemic
4. Financial Loss
Most tour operators have moved their balance due dates nearer to
the departure date to give passengers a better chance to assess the
impact of Covid-19 on their holiday arrangements. If the tour
operator cancels the holiday, you are entitled to a full refund and, in
many instances, booking conditions have been relaxed to give you
more flexibility than before. This is particularly attractive if you are
planning ahead to get something in place for 2021.
5. Risk of Quarantine
ABTA (Association of British Travel Agents) are lobbying for the
Government to give more advanced warning of changes to quarantine
restrictions in order to avoid - as in the recent case of Spain - the
ensuing chaos and loss of confidence to travel. This is a work in
progress and we are constantly being updated through ABTA and
the FCO. However, if you are planning to travel in the next couple of
months, do consider your position should your destination change
from being on the safe-to-travel ‘green list’ to the ‘red list’.
The travel industry is striving to make good decisions to protect their
customers and staff and keep everyone safe. For those of us who are
keen to travel, we must abide by the new rules to ensure our safety
but also trust that our holiday will still be fun and enjoyable.
A good independent travel agent will always add value to your
holiday but, in the current situation, they are worth their weight in
gold: so get in touch… and let’s Talk Travel™!
This is extremely important; however, although getting a policy that
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