Michelle Baran
Political demonstrations in Egypt that turned violent this month, prompting the U.S. State Department to issue a travel warning, highlighted the importance of working with credible and reliable tour operators in times of crisis.
Indeed, many U.S. Tour Operators Association members with clients either in Egypt at the time of the uprising or preparing to head there got proactive, evacuating clients, canceling future tours and refunding and rebooking clients as needed.
There were countless stories of USTOA member operators that scrambled to get their clients out of Egypt during a time when the popular tourism destination was experiencing increasingly violent protests and political uncertainty.
"At the outset of demonstrations ... USTOA member companies responded immediately, going to extraordinary lengths to handle the crisis. Member companies coordinated arrangements for their clients to get them out of harm's way, overcoming numerous challenges," USTOA President Terry Dale said in a statement.
Travel insurance companies lauded the cooperation of USTOA members in providing refunds and changing clients' travel dates as needed, alleviating them of having to get involved in instances where clients might have lost funds.
Tour operator members of the USTOA have agreed to waive change fees and changes in travel dates, said Dan Durazo of Access America. Earlier this month, Durazo said that Access America hadn't heard of customers who were having problems getting their money back or rebooking with a USTOA member tour operator.
In an informal poll of USTOA members serving Egypt, most said they are allowing travelers to reschedule their trips for a future date without penalties, issuing credits for future travel, offering clients alternate destinations or refunding payments.
Trafalgar Tours, Insight Vacations, Cosmos, Avalon Waterways, Travcoa, Abercrombie & Kent, Ritz Tours, General Tours World Traveler, Uniworld River Cruises and Viking River Cruises are among USTOA members that have issued statements about canceling departures, and most are offering refunds or the option to rebook.