COVID-19: ACTA applauds supplier flexibility in assisting travel agents & clients

As the COVID-19 situation continues to unravel around the globe, many travel suppliers have offered to waive penalties for date changes or destination changes.  

In some cases, suppliers are allowing clients to cancel for a full credit.  

READ MORE: Goway travellers can now transfer deposits in light of COVID-19 outbreak

It's a move that suppliers, including airlines, tour operators, cruise lines and others, are embracing to accommodate a nervous public and to assist front line travel agents with finding options for their clients, Wendy Paradis, president of the Association Of Canadian Travel Agencies (ACTA), stated in release issued Wednesday (March 4).

“Some clients are anxious about upcoming trips and want to know their options, or they are looking to change destinations or postpone travel,” Paradis stated.  “Travel Agents have told ACTA they really appreciate how some suppliers are really working with them to accommodate clients and offer them viable options.”

Each day ACTA is seeing new initiatives from suppliers, Paradis explained. 

"I expect this will continue. We are all in this together and it is great to see the industry pull together like this during this emergency," she stated. 

Paradis said it is not just leisure clients who are being affected, but business travellers too.  

Some companies are starting to restrict employee travel and conferences and conventions are being postponed or cancelled at the moment and travel agents are seeing airlines and hotels become much more flexible with business travellers too.

“On behalf of our members, we just want to say “thank you” to all the suppliers who are proactively evolving their policies to better serve our customers," Paradis stated.

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