A new flexible booking policy has been unveiled by Intrepid Travel as well as enhanced safety procedures in response to the Covid-19 outbreak.
Changes to travel plans are now being allowed 21 days before a scheduled departure, allowing for new travel dates or a different trip, with no change fees.
Deposits are the only cost travellers will pay until 21 days before departure, and if plans change, that deposit will be transferred toward another trip.
Consumers can also reserve a trip without payment for up to five days.
Chief commercial officer Brett Mitchell said in a message to agents: “We want to ensure your clients can book confidently and change, move or cancel their travels with no fuss.”
All tours will now be operated under new Safe Travel protocols developed and endorsed by the World Travel & Tourism Council.
The new policy is a result of the company’s learnings from the crisis and to meet the requirements to operate safely in this environment.
Additional measures will include enhanced sanitation, contactless technology solutions, physical distancing across accommodation, transport and restaurants as well as pre-trip and on-trip health screenings.
Intrepid will not require a negative Covid-19 test before joining a trip unless it is a requirement of entry for the country.
A customer confidence toolkit will soon be made available and shared with agents to help them handle questions around re-bookings, converting credit, new bookings and revised health and safety protocols.
Mitchell added: “Safety is our biggest priority and we have been working tirelessly with health bodies to ensure we have the world’s best safety and hygiene practices on all our trips.”