‘Keep calm and carry on,’ Advantage MD tells agents
Advantage managing director Julia Lo Bue-Said has urged travel agents to maintain a ‘sympathetic and professional’ approach to customers looking to change their holiday plans following the tourist massacre in Tunisia on Friday.
Speaking in response to some reports that agents have been verbally abused for selling trips to Tunisia, while others are dealing with clients wanting to amend holidays to other Muslim destinations, including Turkey, she said: "This is a very difficult situation which understandably creates a huge sentiment of uncertainty to travelling anywhere near the region including countries that may appear to be within proximity of Tunisia. Given the circumstances this is a natural reaction."
Said reminded agents that tour operators follow Foreign Office advice and, apart from travel from the borders, the Chaambi National Park and a militarised zone, it has not advised against travelling to Sousse, where tourists were attacked, or any other resort.
She added: "Interestingly, reading some of the national newspapers today, the sheer determination of holidaymakers arriving in Tunisia is not to be beaten by the acts of extremists and are continuing their holidays in Tunisia as normal.
"My advice to agents would be to continue with their sympathetic and professional approach. Apart from the extremists themselves nobody can be made accountable for what has happened."
Said has written to Advantage agents, pointing out that at times like this ‘one truly appreciates the value of being able to rely upon travel agents and tour operators to add comfort and calmness in what is a traumatic experience, managing customers onward plans for returning home safely’.
As agents dealt with enquiries from members of the public with friends and family caught up in the attack as well as customers looking to amend their holidays to Tunisia, Said added: "It should not be underestimated the huge value agents and operators bring in taking as much stress and anxiety out of the customers hands as well as being able to liaise with family and friends back home.
"I dread to think how I would feel during such an event had I not had my holiday organiser available in the forefront, managing my return Journey home for me and taking away as much of the stress as possible.
"We appreciate that many of our members will be extremely busy at the moment, dealing with customer queries as well as managing forward business to Tunisia, but if there is anything we can do to help you during this process, please do not hesitate to get in contact.
"In the meantime if you haven’t subscribed to the ABTA updates I would recommend that you do so as the information that they provide will be the most up to date."
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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