Don’t Discount the Resiliency of Asia’s Vital Travel Industry and Its Smaller Players
Photo Credit: Small players in the travel industry are especially hard hit by the coronavirus crisis as tour bookings demand dries up. Traditional cyclos ride down the streets of Hanoi, Vietnam. Adobe / studiolaska
Skift Take
A greater appreciation of travel and its many segments could be a positive outcome of the coronavirus pandemic. But until the storm blows over, many small businesses in the Asian tourism industry are facing survival threats.
The global travel industry is facing its biggest-ever existential crisis as the coronavirus outbreak envelops the world at large.
At a time when demand for travel services has plummeted while travelers cancel existing bookings at an unprecedented rate, this week’s featured story takes a look at how Asia’s travel advisors are now caught in a daunting predicament as they navigate the messy world of last-minute cancellations and refund requests.
The critical role that travel advisors play as go-between, however, is not always understood by clients, with some even claiming fraud when compensation is not forthcoming. On the suppliers’ end, travel advisors have cited challenges in getting refunds and compensation from airlines, whose policies they have called out as “inflexible” or “discriminatory.”
A common refrain of travel advis
