RECENT earthquakes
and volcanic eruptions
in Indonesia have
highlighted the importance of
using suppliers with strong
support on the ground.
As travel insurance only
covers cancelled flights or
hotels made uninhabitable as
a result of a natural disaster,
clients often rely on the
DMC or bed bank operators
to negotiate cancellation or
amendment waivers should
they decide not to travel.
Operators say DMCs offer
clients additional support in
instances of emergency and
bed banks claim to offer very
similar support services.
Simmy Micheli, manager
– sales and marketing for
TIC, confirms that clients are
covered for natural disasters.
However, clients who opt not
to travel when flights and
hotels are operational are not
covered.
Although Lombok airport and
Denpasar airport in Bali are
now operating as normal, the
UK Foreign and Commonwealth
Office is still advising against
all but essential travel to north
Lombok and against travel
within 4km of the Mont Agung
crater in Bali. It states that
aftershocks may continue in
the coming days and weeks
and buildings that appear
unaffected could have been
weakened and that landslides
may still occur.
Zephnie Viljoen, director
of Perfect Destinations, says
while a few of its clients
opted to leave Bali during the
earthquakes, most elected to
stay, with its DMC remaining
present through the remainder
of the clients’ holidays.
Zephnie explains that the
clients who did elect to
leave Bali were charged full
penalties by the airlines and
that its DMC was still busy
with penalty negotiations with
the affected hotels.
John Ridler, PR and media
manager of Thompsons
Holidays, says Thompsons only
books Indonesian packages
through its appointed DMC.
The operator vets suppliers to
ensure they have after-hours
emergency lines and are
available to assist 24/7.
Many of Thompsons’ Lombok
passengers were rebooked
to Bali during the aftermath
of the Lombok earthquakes.
John confirmed that the DMC
negotiated the move at no
additional cost to clients.
Two Thompsons clients
cancelled their trips outright
and John says while the
airlines stuck to their
cancellation penalties,
Thompsons’ DMC negotiated
full waivers of cancellation
penalties with the hotels.
“This reinforces the value of
having a partnership on the
ground,” says John.
Janine Mcloughlin, regional
head of sales – Africa for
WebBeds MEA – a bed bank,
says WebBeds operates a
24/7 emergency contact
centre and has dedicated
teams in the various
destinations that they operate
in, who can be deployed to
relocate passengers, amend
dates or assist in negotiating
cancellation waivers.
