TUI: ‘Another blow to the already hard hit travel industry’ | Inland

Current travel advice makes sun holidays next fall virtually impossible. “I think it is terrible to see that now also the holidaymakers in Greece are affected. They, but we too, have been taken by surprise with this travel advice. A very nasty surprise, all the more so as you can travel to Greece from neighboring countries, ”says Arjan Kers of TUI Netherlands.

TUI currently has about 6,500 travelers on site. Most of them are in Crete, Kos, Rhodes and Zakynthos. All travelers staying on one of the Greek islands with TUI and Kras will be informed about the adjusted travel advice and the consequences for their stay.

Most will travel back to the Netherlands on their original return flight as much as possible. The scheduled flights will leave empty for the time being and will only bring passengers back. For travelers who would return to the Netherlands after 15 September, an inventory is currently being made of which flight options can be used to also bring them home within a week. Travelers who would still go to Greece will be personally informed that their trip is canceled, according to TUI.

The umbrella organization ANVR regrets the decision. “It is another major blow to the travel industry. It is unfortunate that all Greek islands are put on orange and not some specific ones, ”said a spokeswoman.

The ANVR also advocates unambiguous travel advice in a European context. At the moment, there is a lack of coordination at European level in the gradual lifting or introduction of travel restrictions, according to the umbrella organization. The ANVR therefore calls for the cabinet to work at a European level to arrive at unambiguous travel advice.

“How can Dutch people be evacuated from areas, for example Croatia, where other EU citizens are being taken at the same time?”, Says ANVR chairman Frank Oostdam. “Germans can also go to Turkish coasts, while this is impossible for Dutch tour operators. For the travel sector this is dramatic, unworkable and impossible to explain. ”

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