THE ETG 'COVID-19 Promise'

We understand that while you may be keen to secure a holiday sooner rather than later, committing right now feels daunting.

So Experience Travel Group has introduced its COVID-19 Promise – if you book a holiday with us that includes our COVID-19 Promise we will refund you the bulk of your money, up to the day of your departure, if for any reason you cannot travel due to COVID-19. We call this the COVID-19 Cancellation guarantee.

Also, on top of the ETG COVID-19 Cancellation Guarantee, our COVID-19 Promise enables you to confirm your holiday with an initial payment of just £100 per person as well as flexibility with destination, date and name changes. Your full deposit will be due only when your holiday is confirmed 'travel ready'

Our insurance partners Global Travel Insurance offer an excellent comprehensive policy which covers against specific COVID-19 related claims.

ETG COVID-19 PROMISE Summary

1) Flexible Deposits

You can now confirm your holiday with an initial holding deposit of just £100 per person (occasionally we will need to ask you for additional upfront costs such as for flights, villas or expedition costs). The remainder of the deposit will be due when your holiday is confirmed 'travel ready'.

2) Date and Name Change Flexibility

For any COVID-19 related reason, we will offer complete flexibility on destination and date changes right up until the month before your departure. Note that we will pass on additional charges.

3) COVID-19 Cancellation Guarantee

In the month before your departure, if you decide that you would rather not travel for any reason related to COVID-19, we will refund you in full minus 10% of the total holiday price and any non-recoverable costs. What’s more, we will give you a voucher worth £1,000 to use on a new booking. No ifs, no buts.

Your COVID-19 Promise will be applicable right up to (and including) your day of departure.

Please note that in all circumstances where you are unable or disinclined to travel due to Covid related reasons, you should, in the first instance, contact your insurer. Our Covid Promise is designed to apply in situations not normally covered by an insurance policy.

Apart from these special exceptions for COVID-19 related reasons, our standard terms and conditions apply, and you will find them here.

Below are a few hypothetical scenarios that we wanted to highlight to make it as clear as possible what we feel could play out with the current situation. Please don't hesitate to get in touch if these aren't clear.

Example Scenario One:

A hypothetical family has booked to travel to India in March 2020. In January, they hear that there is a steady increase in cases of COVID-19 in South Asia. Keen to still have a holiday, we advise them that Vietnam has been completely COVID-19 free. They decide to switch their holiday to Vietnam. They do so without penalty and get a holiday of equivalent value. If the new holiday is more expensive then they will be liable for the difference.

Example Scenario Two: 

A hypothetical couple is due to travel to Vietnam next March costing £6800 in total. One of them falls ill a week before departure, diagnosed with COVID-19. The couple is not insured as their travel insurance policy explicitly excludes COVID-19. Under the ‘Package Travel Regulations’, Experience Travel Group are not obliged to refund them for this as the trip remains operational. The couple would stand to lose the entire cost of the trip. With our COVID-19 Promise, we would refund the total cost, minus the deposit payments and any non-recoverable flight costs or offer to rearrange for a later date without penalty. In this case, the client would be refunded £5,720 (10% deposit plus £200 per person flight cancellation charge).

Example Scenario Three: 

If that same hypothetical couple made it to the airport but were refused boarding due to testing positive for COVID-19 (or even having a temperature but no positive test result), they would lose all of their money as well as their holiday. With our COVID-19 Promise, we would refund the total cost, minus the deposit payment and any non-recoverable costs . We would also provide you with a £1,000 voucher to re-book any ETG holiday.

Example Scenario Four:

A couple due to travel to Sri Lanka in a week, decide that they would rather not travel due to general uncertainty around COVID-19. With our COVID-19 Promise, we would refund the total cost, minus the deposit payment and any non-recoverable costs . We would also provide you with a £1,000 voucher to re-book any ETG holiday.