Thousands of UK holidaymakers evacuated from Cuba resorts

Wednesday, 11 Sep, 2017 0

Nearly 2,000 Thomas Cook customers were evacuated from the Cayo Coco region of Cuba as the island prepared for the arrival of Hurricane Irma on Friday.

Thomson said all of its customers in Cayo Santa Maria were moved to Varadero by the Cuban authorities, but it did not disclose numbers.

Thomas Cook said its customers were accommodated in hotels and none had been required to stay in the island’s hurricane shelters.

"We are grateful to our customers for their patience during what is a concerning time for many," said the operator in a statement.

It said all of customers in the region are in hotels which have been built to withstand a hurricane.

"This is the safest place for them to remain as the hurricane passes through the region. We are sending an additional 16 Special Assistance Team members to Varadero, and we continue to work with the local authorities to make sure all of our customers are as comfortable and well-informed as possible," it added.

Customers due to travel to Cuba and the Dominican Republic up to and including September 10 were offered free cancellations and ammendments.

Customers due to travel to Orlando up to and including Monday 11 September are also able to amend or cancel their travel plans.

All outbound flights from the UK to Orlando, Cayo Coco and Varadero were cancelled up to Sunday 10 September, some return flights were brought forward on Saturday, while others flew out empty to pick up returning flights on Sunday.

below social share icons

Bev

Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.

Offering the most powerful portfolio in the industry, our 30 brands and 8,000+ properties across 139 countries and territories give...

It’s easy to find perfection in Santa Barbara, but what if there was even more of your favorite finds, activities,...

The Oregon Tourism Commission, dba Travel Oregon, works to enhance visitors’ experiences by providing information, resources and trip planning tools...

Global Hotel Alliance brings together a unique collection of independent hospitality brands for GHA DISCOVERY, a multi-brand loyalty programme. GHA...

The superpower in bed banks for 30 years We are an award-winning and trusted accommodation wholesaler since 1991. We are...

The Detroit Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau (DMCVB) is the only organization that promotes metro Detroit regionally, nationally and...

Cunard is the operator of luxury cruise ships Queen Mary 2®, Queen Victoria® and Queen Elizabeth®. Renowned for impeccable White...

The Paris 2024 Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games is responsible for planning, organising, financing and delivering the...

Our Mission Ecommerce has transformative powers, and we believe everyone should be able to take part. But outdated solutions and...

The Polish Tourism Organisation (Polska Organizacja Turystyczna – POT) is one of several dozen national tourism organisations operating in the...

Air Transat is Canada’s number one leisure airline. It flies to some 60 international destinations in more than 25 countries...

Located in the Mediterranean and connecting Asia and European continents that are separated by the famous Bosphorus, Türkiye is a...

MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM) is an S&P 500® global entertainment company with national and international locations featuring best-in-class hotels...