新古巴限制意味着更多的旅行顾问工作
经过Jessica Montevago/
“我们与家人和朋友一起旅行的客户(前往古巴)将撤离巡航的亮点,减轻对假期的兴奋和热情。”假期。
他们是众多旅行顾问之一,他们预定了去古巴旅行的客户,他们在周二得知特朗普政府将会禁止受欢迎的教育人士小组游览和巡航访问。
“我们的旅行顾问非常努力地与客户一起设计每种旅行体验,以满足并超出客户的期望。拜访他们的计划已经确定后,他们访问古巴被否认是一种耻辱。”伯杰说。“我们对这个决定感到失望。”
The tightened restrictions were also met with confusion. While the U.S. Treasury Department said travelers who completed “at least one travel-related transaction (such as purchasing a flight or reserving accommodation) prior to June 5” will be allowed to fulfill their travel plans, it’s unclear what will happen to customers who have booked cruises to Cuba that were set to depart after that date.
现在,所有邮轮都必须删除古巴港口以进行当前和将来的行程,而商业航班似乎不受影响。预计旅行社还必须更改其产品,尽管一些运营商将继续提供符合新法规的计划。
尽管看到restri后早期对古巴的兴趣ctions loosened under President Obama, Roxanne Boryczki, president of AZ Trails Travels, in Fountain Hills, Arizona, told Travel Market Report that demand began to wane after a year or so. So, while the decision won’t make or break her agency, “I am hopeful that in the future, things can once again normalize and the industry overall will be able to sell Cuba as a destination from the U.S.”
Char和Don Berger说,他们现在的重点是为客户的行程突然变化做好准备,这将为他们的敬业顾问带来大量工作。
“我们有许多已经拥有最终文件的小组,每个组织都需要保证,新信息和舒缓的信息,以了解为什么以及如何直接影响他们的个人旅行计划。这项大量额外的工作已经使我们的团队无法为其他客户创造新的假期,因为这需要他们立即关注。”
Boryczki说,她的代理机构有一些客户在Cruises上预订,并在古巴举行港口电话,她将等待“看看这种情况是如何进行的,因为他们已经在存款和最终付款 - 希望Cruise Lines能够完成这些航行。”
Letty Annett, president of Letty’s Cuba Travel & Tours, in Weston, Florida, said the new policy will further confuse Americans, if not deter them from traveling to Cuba altogether. University groups, academic research groups, journalists, and professional meetings will still be authorized to travel under the new rules.
In addition, Kendra Guild, smarTours’ director of product & operations, said there’s another avenue for travel advisors with clients who still wish to visit the country. Tour operator programs that fall under another category of “support for the Cuban people” will still be permitted.
While some travel will continue, Guild said the decision “won't only affect the Cuban economy on the whole, as well as the U.S. travel industry, but negatively impacts the small businesses and entrepreneurs in Cuba that the administration claims to support. People-to-people tour organizations eat at the paladars (private restaurants), support community projects and small businesses in Cuba.”