March 20, 2020 – The Association of Croatian Travel Agencies has promised vouchers for travelers during the coronavirus crisis.
Domestic travelers and tourists who have paid for travel through travel agencies that cannot be realized because of the coronavirus pandemic can expect agency vouchers to pay for trips when it passes, UHPA President Tomislav Fain said Thursday for Jutarnji List.
“The money paid for travel is not lost. We plan to start issuing vouchers to travelers for paid arrangements that they will be able to use in the amount of money paid for another trip when all this passes,” Fain explains.
He says that this is already done in many European countries, and that travelers need to know that their money has not been left in the account of the travel agency, but has been forwarded to the hotel, airline, carrier and others in the ‘linked chain’ of the travel offer.
“The working capital of an agency, which is mostly small or medium-sized enterprises, is limited, and the refund to the customer due to stagnating bookings and bans imposed would be fatal for many agencies. Therefore, we offer a solution that should satisfy both parties – enabling travelers to make trips, and to provide agencies with business continuity,” says Fain.
He estimates that the spread of the coronavirus has caused unprecedented disturbances in daily life, in many industries and the economy, including in the travel industry.
“The coronavirus has dealt a heavy blow to the recommendations of the competent institutions to temporarily delay travel until the suspension of regular routes, the closure of borders and the complete ban on travel of any kind,” warned Fain.
The consequences are also felt by travelers – individual guests and groups, business people on trips and organized congresses, schoolchildren and their parents, and all others who duly paid for trips that will not be realized now due to force majeure and in extraordinary circumstances, and, understandably, they expect compensation.
“We believe that the time of travel will come again and that we will quickly overcome this crisis and keep our heads up, and until then, it remains for passengers and everyone to abide by the instructions recommended by the Civil Protection Staff,” Fain concludes.
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