According to travel businesses, the policy of postponement and cancellation is often different between tours with visas and tours without visa requirements, because it relates to the level of incurred costs, administrative procedures and travel preparation time.
Tour with visa
For overseas tours that require a visa, the conditions for postponing and canceling tours are often regulated quite strictly due to documents and visa fees, pre-booked services as well as travel preparation time.
According to Hanoitourist's transaction conditions, when registering for an international tour, customers must deposit 50% of the tour price and pay the rest 10 days before the departure date. If the tour is canceled after depositing, customers will lose 100% of the deposit.
The tour cancellation fee is also calculated according to the announced time. If canceled 30 days before departure, customers must pay 50% of the tour price and visa fee; 75% of the tour price and visa fee before 25 days; and 100% of the tour price and visa fee must be paid before 20 days.
In case customers cancel their trip immediately after the embassy or consulate has issued a visa, the cost of canceling the tour can also be up to the entire value of the tour.
In case the visitor is refused the visa, the business will refund the tour fee, after deducting visa application fees and translation costs - non-refundable costs. If the visa result is returned later than the prescribed time, the ticket refund fee within 24 hours before departure time may be considered depending on the case.
Hanoitourist also reminds customers to submit visa applications according to consular regulations, and check their passports that are valid for at least 6 months until the end of the trip and ensure that the information and images on the passport are clear.
If on the departure day passengers are not allowed to exit or enter the country for personal reasons, the business will not be responsible and will not refund the related costs.
In addition, customers who want to transfer or cancel tours must bring a payment receipt to the company office to carry out procedures and bear the costs according to regulations; businesses do not resolve the transfer or cancellation of tours by phone.
Meanwhile, according to Vietluxtour's regulations, if the business cannot organize a trip (except for force majeure cases), the company must refund the entire tour price to the customer immediately at the time of tour cancellation. Conversely, if the customer actively cancels the trip before the departure date, the customer must pay the related costs according to the regulations of the tour program.
Vietluxtour also stipulates that businesses are responsible for completing procedures related to the trip, organizing tours according to the agreed program and buying travel insurance for customers. The conditions and level of compensation will be based on the regulations of the insurance company and relevant laws.
However, the business is not responsible for losses or costs incurred due to customers being late, changing or arbitrarily canceling programs, using additional services outside the program. The company is also not responsible for damage caused by delays in public transport or lost or damaged luggage throughout the trip.
According to Mr. Nguyen Van Nhi - representative of Postours & Event, tours requiring visas often have to prepare documents quite early, related to visa application costs, entry and exit procedures in countries, so tour cancellation conditions are also stricter.
If customers cancel tours, businesses will base on the actual situation from the time of tour registration to the time of tour cancellation to apply the policy of penalty for cancellation according to the signed contract, with non-refundable costs and refundable costs after specific accounting," Mr. Nhi said.
Tour without visa
For overseas tours that do not require visas, the policy of postponing and canceling tours is usually more flexible because consular application fees are not incurred and the preparation time is also shorter.
Travel businesses can be more flexible in handling cases where customers want to change plans.
Tours without visas are simpler, so policies are also more flexible, businesses can be more flexible in postponing, canceling or preserving to ensure the rights of customers," Mr. Nguyen Van Nhi said.
According to Lao Dong's records, the war situation in the Middle East in recent times has also affected the psychology of many tourists when planning long-distance tours, especially those routes with flights passing through this area. However, for tours directly affected by force majeure factors, businesses will consider and resolve satisfactorily for each customer.
For tours directly affected by war or force majeure factors, businesses will resolve them satisfactorily for each customer. As for tours not affected by war but customers still want to cancel due to safety concerns, most businesses still handle them according to airline regulations and signed contract terms.
Travel agencies usually do not automatically cancel tours if there are no force majeure factors such as war, natural disasters or epidemics. Program adjustment or cancellation depends on many objective factors and will be considered according to each specific case to ensure the rights of customers.
In addition, Vietluxtour also stipulates that tour participants must provide complete and accurate information and necessary documents such as citizen identification cards or passports before the trip, and fulfill the obligation to pay fully according to the contract. If customers do not pay on time, this case is considered as arbitrarily canceling the trip.
Tour participants must also comply with the group's regulations, not voluntarily separate from the group without the group leader's consent, self-handle luggage, carry personal papers when necessary and comply with the laws of Vietnam as well as the host country. If damage is caused due to their fault or violation of regulations, customers must be responsible for compensation and payment of arising expenses.
According to the recommendations of travel businesses, when registering for international tours, tourists should carefully learn about the program, the items included and not included in the tour price, tour postponement and cancellation conditions, as well as their obligations before signing the contract. Choosing reputable travel businesses with clear terms and registering for tours directly at the office also helps ensure the rights of guests in case of planning changes.
