Holidays 'safe from job loss'

TRAVEL DEALS:SUNWAY HOLIDAYS has introduced redundancy cover as part of its package holidays to encourage bookings from people who have been holding off on finalising holiday plans because of job insecurities.

The policy, which allows customers to cancel any Sunway holiday and receive a full refund should they be made redundant, will be valid for all new bookings made until April 30th for travel between the beginning of May and the end of October.

“There are some fantastic deals available at the moment,” says Sunway managing director Tanya Airey. “However, we realise that, in the current climate of uncertainty, some people are too afraid to take up these offers as the threat of redundancy is hanging in the air.”

Tour operators have seen a sharp fall in bookings as economic conditions have worsened. Airey says the new policy aims to give the company’s customers “some comfort in the knowledge that, should their circumstances change suddenly, we will refund their holiday payment in full”.

Sunway will refund both the deposit and the full balance of the holiday payment, without cancellation charges, although it requires at least a month’s notice, among other terms and conditions.

It is not the first tour operator to change its policies to take redundancy into account. Late last year Intrepid Travel offered a 15 per cent discount to people who financed overseas trips with redundancy packages.