MEMO RE: COVID-19
Dear all valued travellers,
You can well imagine that we have entered one of the most challenging periods of time not only in the travel industry but in society as a whole.
There isn’t any one-size-fits-all answer to what we should do, but the most important thing is that we take the right steps with the safety and security of our guests in mind while avoiding any knee-jerk reactions. Ultimately, we are guided by experts within our government, foreign governments or other health authorities and, it is prudent that we rely on the facts and not on rumours.
Many of our partners and travellers have reached out understanding the difficulties this situation presents, and I thank you for your understanding as this is a very challenging time for us all.
With open and honest communication, I’d like to offer some background on the situation that we are in, and why many of the terms and conditions are still in effect.
As you probably know, a tour is a perishable product; as time passes, cruise lines, hotels and other suppliers, are unable to provide a refund as they can no longer sell the space to someone else.
Under normal circumstances, when unforeseen circumstances result in a cancellation; we in turn have to cancel the services including paying any penalties that apply; while trip cancellation insurance would protect the traveller against financial loss.
In cases where travel is made impossible or highly risky, such as when a travel advisory is issued, then travellers who have purchased trip cancellation insurance could be protected against any financial loss (depending on coverage and exclusions).
As the situation continues to evolve, suppliers’ policies are also changing dynamically. We are currently addressing affected passengers with departures in the next 30 to 45 days.
We sincerely appreciate your patience and anticipate that there will be more information soon regarding our upcoming programs departing later in 2020 and early 2021.
Should you wish to cancel your journey at this time, please consult with your travel insurance provider for coverage and exclusions as the current cancellation penalties are still in effect until further notice.
I commit to communicate transparently and regularly. However, we seek to make decisions after thoughtful consultation so, while we want to be timely, we also want to ensure our decisions and communications are considered.
As we are working from home with limited resources, following the advice of the Public Health Agency of Canada, to best serve you as effectively as possible, please contact us by email at info@glpworldwide.com and allow our team to reach out to you while we continue to address imminent departures.
Stay Safe!
Alan Law
GLP Worldwide