A long-haul tour operator has surcharged customers citing the fall in the value of the pound in the wake of the Brexit vote.
Specialist operator Jasmine Holidays applied a surcharge to the holidays of about 20 customers, asking for as much as £185 per person extra.
Tour operators are allowed by law to apply a surcharge if the cost of a package has risen by more than a specified percentage due to currency fluctuations, rising fuel costs or higher taxes, as long as this is included in the booking terms and conditions and it is at least 30 days before departure.
One traveller who gave his name only as Martin said he had been asked for £370 from the company for a safari honeymoon to Kenya and Zanzibar. He said the request came on the cusp of the 30 days and he negotiated it down to £190.
In an email to the customer reported by The Telegraph Travel, Jasmine Holidays director Phil Hodges said: “In the fallout of the EU referendum result and the subsequent fall in sterling, it is with much regret that I am sending you the attached, regarding your upcoming trip to Africa.
“I appreciate this will not be welcome news, but in the light of the decline in the currency following the referendum result we are unfortunately required to increase the cost of your trip.
“The surcharge amount is £185 per person, which is detailed in the attached. I can guarantee that there will be no further surcharges and it is already with much reluctance that we are having to increase our costs in these circumstances.”
Hodges told the newspaper that Jasmine Holidays regretted having to apply the surcharge but any customers affected would be offered an equivalent discount off a future trip.
“I started the business eight years ago and we’re now a small team who work really hard to put together great trips for our customers,” he said.
“Sadly, we’ve had to surcharge a few customers because of the drop in sterling after Brexit.”
Hampshire-based Jasmine Holidays is a member of the Travel Trust Association and holds an Atol.
The value of sterling was hit after the UK voted to leave the EU, with £1 worth €1.15 yesterday compared to €1.30 in June.
Jasmine Holidays is not the only operator to have applied a surcharge. The Telegraph also cited Just America as having asked for additional money, citing currency fluctuations.