With increasing reports of Americans' concerns about travel, the United States Tour Operators Association wants people to know they are not alone when they book a vacation package or tour through a tour operator. They have an entire company of experienced experts behind them.

“We’re there for you when a crisis or unforeseen event occurs. Those traveling independently must fend for themselves,” says Bob Whitley, president of USTOA, whose member companies provide vacations for more than 11 million people yearly.

“Many people are unaware of the valuable behind-the-scenes role tour operators play to ensure the comfort and security of their travelers. In situations ranging from airline strikes to the World Trade Center disaster, and from floods to blizzards, tour operators have acted as consumer advocates for their passengers, providing an extra pound of security,” says Whitley.

On any given day in peak season, USTOA tour operators may have anywhere from 70 to 10,000 passengers traveling. When a large-scale emergency occurs, telephone and e-mail volume increases exponentially. Telephone systems are strained, as anxious family, co-workers, and travelers seek assistance. Staff may work round the clock to ensure that all passengers are accommodated. During a two-week Northwest Airlines strike in 1998, for instance, Image Tours had their staff in at 3:00 a.m. to reschedule passengers here and in Europe on other airlines.

In a sampling of USTOA case studies compiled over the past several years, member companies have handled emergencies worldwide by utilizing sophisticated communications links, marshalling a global network of field offices, and deploying worldwide contacts. For example, Abercrombie & Kent has 50 offices around the world, with 300 employees in a destination like Tanzania alone; while Globus and Cosmos maintains 37 worldwide offices. Other tour operators have 24-hour hotlines.

Should something happen, here is how tour operators go into action:

Beijing Riots: In 1999, after the accidental U.S. bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade, there were riots in Beijing. Tauck World Discovery, with 250 travelers in a hotel near the U.S. embassy, went into action, quickly rerouting their travelers to other Southeast Asian destinations (Bali, Thailand and Singapore). The company picked up 100% of extra costs, changing more than 2,700 flight itineraries, and providing a real safety net.

Mt. Aetna Erupts: In 2003, when Mt. Aetna erupted in Sicily, participants on a Gate 1 Travel escorted tour were stuck without air service. Because of the company’s well-established contacts in Italy, it was able to organize ground transportation to a nearby operational airport, provide overnight accommodations, and get everyone on their way.

Summer Floods in Central Europe: In 2002, when summer floods hit Central Europe, DER Tours worked with travel agents to reschedule their passengers’ flights; Tauck World Discovery rerouted groups bound for the Czech Republic to Vienna. Uniworld, whose Budapest-bound riverboat could not pass through the Danube’s locks, provided transfer via motor coach from Vienna to Budapest, plus overnight hotel accommodations, sightseeing and dinner at no cost, saving the day for passengers who otherwise would have missed their flights home.

World Trade Center Disaster: During the World Trade Center disaster in 2001, USTOA members went the full extra mile. Cruise West made staff cell phones available to guests so they could call home, and worked with the airlines to rescheduled flights home for passengers stranded in Alaska. Maupintour helped their travelers worldwide rearrange flights and extend hotel stays. Because of suspended air service, Globus and Cosmos tracked down every passenger stranded in New York and Washington, D.C. to arrange bus transportation home. TCS Expeditions allayed the concerns of 70 passengers traveling along the Silk Route in their private train, by calling every U.S. contact number to be sure no relatives or friends had been injured. The good news was relayed to a Tashkent hotel where passengers had disembarked to watch developments on CNN. Classic Custom Vacations and Royal Celebrity Tours organized free emergency hotel stays for clients; Avanti Destinations and other USTOA members negotiated discounted rates.

Crisis Response

Many USTOA members have had formal crisis management plans in place for a number of years. Tauck World Discovery, for instance, spends $100,000 annually on updating its plan and retraining all its tour directors in handling individual and group crises situations. Other companies have refined and tightened their crisis management plans in response to recent developments.

While each USTOA member handles crisis management in its own way, all provide beneficial services and a sense of assurance to clients even though the tour operator is not legally obligated in cases of force majeure – or circumstances beyond their control. The “Terms and Conditions” sections of most tour operators’ brochures recommend travel insurance to cover such events.

“In actual fact, our tour operator members go the extra mile. They have consistently played a valuable advocacy role with airlines, hotels, and other travel industry suppliers to help make sure that their passengers are safe and secure. The goodwill generated is repaid many times in customer satisfaction and loyalty. Travel insurance is always recommended, but it is also important to travel with a company that has the clout to back its customers up in times of need,” concludes Whitley.

USTOA members must meet the travel industry’s highest requirements, including participation in the USTOA Travelers Assistance Program, which among other things, requires each USTOA Active Member company to set aside $1 Million to help protect consumer payments in case the company goes out of business. To locate a USTOA member company, visit www.USTOA.com. For a free copy of USTOA’s “Smart Traveler’s Planning Kit,” phone 1-800-GO-USTOA, (1-800-468-7862).

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