Tucan Travel says goodbye local payments
6 May 2010
Tucan Travel says goodbye local payments, hello single pricing!
No more local payments for Adventure Tours, Discovery Tours or Overland Expeditions
Award-winning independent tour operator Tucan Travel is saying goodbye to local payments from 1 July 2010. The adventure travel specialist is making the change in response to feedback from a recent customer survey which revealed 81% of clients preferred to drop fixed local payments in favour of paying for their tour in full in advance of travel.
Local payments will be re-calculated on 30 June 2010 according to bank or post office exchange rates into Tucan Travel’s seven booking currencies and will then be rolled into a single fixed price which clients will pay upfront in advance of travel. The operator will absorb any administration and exchange rate variations so there will be no additional cost to clients. During the changeover period, travellers who have booked prior to and including 30 June 2010 may or may not pay a local payment depending on when they are due to travel. Full details of how the changeover period will work can be found at http://www.tucantravel.com/useful-information/no-more-local-payments.
Tucan Travel General Manager UK and Europe Bec Whiffin said the change to single pricing would streamline and simplify the booking process for both travellers and travel agents, and also bring the company in line with current industry trends.
“We’ve been listening to our clients and have made the change in response to their feedback, which is overwhelmingly in favour of dropping local payments. As a tour operator, it’s our job to take the hassle out of adventure travel and we feel it is entirely worth the extra effort on our side to make our clients’ lives easier.”
Tucan Travel reservations staff will start sending updated invoices to clients and travel agents from 1 July 2010. All invoices will clearly show the value of the local payment which now needs to be paid in advance of travel.
Local payments apply to group tours in the Adventure Tours, Discovery Tours and Overland Expeditions travel styles only. Travellers on Budget Expeditions tours will continue to pay a local fund to their tour leader on arrival in South America. The local fund operates as a kitty and any leftover monies are refunded to clients at the end of their tour.
Optional excursions, park fees, meals and drinks will still be paid for locally, but these are always at a client’s discretion and an idea of cost is given in the tour dossier and optional excursions guides. Any other specific local costs are stated on the bottom of the tour page.
Media contact: Catrionna Grant, Communications Coordinator
Email:
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Phone: 020 8896 6711 Web: www.tucantravel.com
Blog: http://tucantravelofficial.blogspot.com
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