With new cases of coronavirus being identified in increasing numbers of places and different countries, it is difficult to predict where the virus will hit hard next. Yet one thing is for sure: the disease has become a nightmare for travellers as well as the tourism industry. China, Italy, South Korea and Iran has seen a sharp rise in the number of cases and are making every effort to contain the threat. It can be ascertained that the virus is heading towards the pandemic mark.
If you are a traveller, then you are bound to some restrictions while visiting the countries that are seeing a sharp number of infections caused by the virus. Being a Hotel representation company, we have the necessary insights what are likely to face as a traveller, and here are certain tips from our AP LBC experts to help you in reinstating your rights as a traveller.
Corona Virus: What Rights You Hold as A Traveller?
Mar 27 / admin@aplbc
How to stay safe without undergoing financial loses?
If you have booked a trip to one of those destinations, your rights depend on your choice of airline and the small printed copy of your insurance policy. Both insurers and airlines generally take a cue from travel advice from your country’s government.
The situation is very simple if your intended destination is or has been China. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) advises against any trip to mainland China and all trips to Hubei Province, except necessary.
If you are travelling against this advice and failing to get there, you risk invalidating your insurance policy, although you may claim that the trip is important. If you’re already there, travel cover may not be valid at Hubei but should continue elsewhere in China-again, if your stay is necessary.
How to get insurance cover, if your trip doesn’t go ahead!
If your country’s foreign and travel ministry hasn’t issued a warning, that means you can’t expect compensation if you get cold feet and decide to call the journey off.
When your government is against travelling to a country or region, and in case you are booked to fly there, then you should call your airline or travel company to cancel or delay and arrange a refund. Then you should contact your insurer and have your claim reported.”
How good are your chances of a refund?
While insurers may not cover cancellations, some airlines now allow passengers to rebook their flights. Some airways like the British Airways, Delta and Air Canada has said that passengers booking to some of Italy’s northern airports-including Milan, Turin, Bologna, Venice, Bergamo and Verona-will now be able to reserve their flights later.
Most hotels offer refunds or the right to rebook in areas under lockdown. But if the hotel is open and its location is non-refundable, then you may miss out.
What options you have as a traveller in this situation?
If soon you are on a flight to northern Italy, it looks set to run as normal. The government and ministry of foreign affairs in many countries have advised their citizens not to travel to the affected areas.
However, it places the onus on you as a traveller to find out whether the place to which you are travelling is affected, and you are strongly advised to consult with your transport and accommodation providers.
What are your chances of getting insurance, on missing your flight home due to getting quarantined?
Quarantines have become a mandatory affair if you have visited any of the countries that had been devastated by the coronavirus or if the virus seems to be rapidly spreading.
According to many government foreign and travel agencies, it depends on the type of visit you have booked for. If your trip is covered by the air travel licensing authority, then your return travel is covered for the costs.
It applies usually to vacations or holiday packages. For flight-only arrangements, it depends entirely on the cover you’ve got with your travel insurance.
How is the travel industry coping up with the outbreak?
A financial shock is expected in the travel industry and it is being braced for it. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) estimates that this year’s coronavirus epidemic would cause airlines to lose $29.3 billion in revenue.
Airlines are expected to absorb most of the impact in China and other parts of the Asia Pacific region, but no-one really knows how large the ultimate impact could be.
So naturally, if you and other fellow tourists don’t visit a place on holiday, then hotel rooms go unoccupied, restaurant meals remain untouched, shops sell fewer products and so on. As a result, some of those businesses could go under, leaving a lasting impression on the future tourism industry.
These are some of the effective tips from AP LBC experts that helps you to reinstate your traveller rights, and also we ensure you to take necessary precautionary measures if you are going to visit a country that has been ravaged by the coronavirus or showing a potential hotspot of an outbreak. We always recommend obeying the rules laid by your country’s respective government, before planning a trip to one of those affected territories.
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