NEW YORK -- While the tour industry was assessing the impact of Far
& Wide's demise, several operators and other organizations were
scrambling to help customers left in the lurch.
Brendan Worldwide Vacations, CIE Tours, Globus & Cosmos,
Trafalgar Tours, Insight Vacations, Tauck World Discovery and
Tourism Ireland all offered to help stranded customers of Far &
Wide.
Tourism Ireland, for example, said it will step in to aid Far
& Wide clients vacationing in Ireland or set to depart
soon.
The all-Irish tourist body said it will work with the Irish
Hotels Federation and other accommodations providers, and
motorcoach firms and visitor attractions, to "ensure Far & Wide
customers can continue their holidays" and that "Ireland's
reputation as a leading vacation destination is in no way tarnished
by the collapse."
Tourism Ireland is setting up a hotline at (800) 223-6470, where
clients who booked or hoped to book Far & Wide vacations to
Ireland can receive information on, and aid in, booking. Far &
Wide companies sent about 12,000 visitors annually to Ireland,
according to the tourism board.
Meanwhile, insurer Access America said Far & Wide clients
who purchased the optional Access America insurance policies will
be covered.
Beth Godlin, Access America's senior vice president of sales and
marketing, said the insurer had been ready to remove Far & Wide
from its covered supplier list when the bankruptcy news was
disclosed. The move was pending "due to volatility we have seen in
their recent financial indicators," Godlin said.
U.S. Tour Operators Association president Bob Whitley, said most
of the stranded passengers were in Europe. "We've gotten calls from
Ireland and Italy so far," he said.
Whitley suggested that customers who purchased their tours with
credit cards make a claim through their credit-card companies.
USTOA members' efforts to help stranded Far & Wide clients
were to be posted at www.ustoa.com. Consumers have 90 days to file a claim
with the USTOA.
Far & Wide is also a member of the National Tour
Association, so the association's $200,000 consumer protection plan
will apply to Far & Wide customers.
Ian Swain, former owner of Swain Australia Tours and head of Far
& Wide's South Pacific division, said that there are 500
clients on tours to the South Pacific and another 3,500 have paid
for future trips to the region. The South Pacific programs account
for some $40 million in annual volume.
Globus & Cosmos established a toll-free number, (800)
372-1761, for a Rescue Desk.
The company said its tour directors are boarding coaches
abandoned by Far & Wide and completing the trips for travelers,
courtesy of Globus.
The company offered to place stranded customers in Europe on
comparable trips for free. For customers who have lost deposits
with Far & Wide, Globus & Cosmos will discount their tour
by the amount of the deposit.
For clients who booked and paid for a Far & Wide trip,
Globus will offer a 35% discount off the land price for Europe or
South America, or a 15% discount off the land price of any Asia,
South Pacific or South American tour. The discounts will be honored
until Oct. 10, Globus will pay the travel agent commissions.
Celtic Tours said that until Oct. 30 it will assist individuals and
groups that have deposits with Far & Wide for travel scheduled
through Dec. 14 to Ireland, Britain, Italy, Germany, Holland,
Greece and France.
The Albany, N.Y.-based operator said it will honor all group
deposits up to $500 per group paid to Far & Wide companies;
higher credits may be available depending on itineraries.
And Celtic Tours will offer individual travelers discounts of as
much as 10% on land-only costs.
Agency commissions will be fully protected at 10% on land, said
Noel Murphy, president of Celtic Tours.
Booking confirmation with proof of payment to Far & Wide is
required; for more information, call (888) 205-0284 or e-mail [email protected].
To contact reporter David Cogswell, send e-mail to [email protected].