AFTA COVID-19 advice

THE Australian Federation of Travel Agents (AFTA) has provided a new COVID-19 Travel Advice Flyer to help agents respond to client queries and concerns.

In an update to members, AFTA said it was working with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Smartraveller to monitor COVID-19, the situation as it unfolds, and its implications for Australians travelling overseas.

ATAS members can distribute the flyer to their clients and use it in their communications.

It reminds travellers that their decision to travel must be based on personal circumstances and all the information available to them at the time and encourages consumers to gather information from sources such as WHO, Smartraveller and the Department of Health.

For those who want to travel, the flyer reinforces that many destinations remain unaffected and consumers need to ensure that they are informed about the destination they are travelling to and the countries they might need to transit through.

It also notes those who want to cancel will be subject to the terms and conditions agreed to when the booking was made and that consumers should talk to their ATAS travel agent to understand if the travel supplier has made any concessions.

The flyer suggests travellers who want to cancel consider alternate travel plans and talk to an ATAS agent about a domestic holiday.

It also recommends consumers always take out travel insurance and be aware of what is covered. See the flyer HERE.

In Feb AFTA released a fact sheet to assist ATAS members review their business operations & make adjustments (TD 25 Feb).