Despite the News, It’s Just Another Day in Europe

This is part two of a series of stories on European travel.

Aside from a few cruise ship reroutings and some well-publicized rail delays, leisure travel to Europe is moving ahead with little disruption, travel industry insiders say. Off-season vacationers are sticking to their plans despite the massive movement of refugees that has overwhelmed some EU nations. Indeed, the troubles have underlined the fact that travel plans can go awry in any number of ways, and travel agents can play an important role both before and after they do.

“A few travel agents whose clients are going to Europe in the next few months have contacted us, voicing their clients’ concerns, though we haven’t had any inquiries from those currently traveling,” says Harry Dalgaard, president of the Portland, Ore.-based FIT specialist Avanti Destinations.

Noting that disruptions in service sometimes happen for a variety of reasons, Dalgaard says his company’s local partners in Europe ensure that clients have smooth connections between destinations.

“We have not adjusted any future itineraries and hopefully this will continue,” he says. “Those who travel in the off-season are more intrepid travelers and know that what you experience while traveling is very different from what you hear in the news.”

Despite a Personal Experience, Keeping It in Perspective
Despite his own personal experience recently in Europe, Fort Lauderdale agent Mike Greenwald, of Personalized Travel, agrees. “A lot of what’s on the news doesn’t affect travel, and I don’t think the migrant issue is a risk. Those traveling to Hungary, for example, are going on a river boat; they’re on the Danube, not near border areas, and we don’t have people traveling on vacation to Serbia.”

Greenwald experienced an effect of the crisis first-hand as he headed from London to Dover, only to find that officials in Calais, France, had shut down the ferries due to migrants. “Traffic [to the coast] was backed up 35 miles,” he says. “It was incredible.”

Still, he added, “I don’t think the migrant situation is going to cause someone to change travel plans. It isn’t making Europe a tougher sell than any other year.”

Indeed, Greenwald is far more concerned about bad news from Wall Street than from abroad.

“People say they can’t afford to go because they just lost X amount of their savings. That’s a much bigger issue for my clients than safety—and I can’t overcome that. If your perception is you can’t afford to go, then you don’t go.”

One If By Land, Two If By Sea
River-cruise companies haven’t been directly impacted by refugee activity—but instead they have faced challenges from nature. Several have made itinerary changes due to low water levels on the Danube and Elbe rivers. This isn’t unusual (in the spring, higher-than-normal water levels cause similar itinerary problems), and river cruise lines can quickly adjust routes and/or bus passengers to destinations the ships can’t reach by water.

A spokesman for both Scenic and Emerald Cruises says the two lines have made route adjustments in recent weeks, but no cruises have been canceled.

The migrant crisis has prompted a few blue-water lines, including Silversea Cruises, as well as Regent Seven Seas Cruise and its sister line Oceania Cruises, to steer clear of Lesbos, Greece, a refugee hotspot where some 20,000 migrants are temporarily housed in camps while awaiting transport to other countries.

Seven Seas Mariner’s scheduled call on Sept. 29 will be replaced with a stop in Kavala, Greece. Kavala also will replace Seven Seas Voyager’s scheduled call to Mytilene on Oct. 29 and Oceania Cruises’ Nautica’s scheduled call on Oct. 6. The company will continue to watch the situation and make other changes if needed.

Costa Cruises North America sales vice president Scott Knutson says the refugee movement has not so far impacted itinerary planning for Italy-based Costa, which operates Eastern Mediterranean cruises year-round.

“From a North American standpoint, the crisis has not affected existing business and it is difficult to gauge whether it is affecting vacationers’ decision-making,” he says. Costa “is taking an active role in the crisis” by donating about $113,000 (100,000 euros) to Doctors Without Borders, which is providing medical aid and rescue support to refugees arriving in Sicily.

ASTA Weighs In
ASTA industry affairs vice president Mark Meader says clients need to understand that the decision of where and when to travel is an individual one.

“Travel agencies are not risk managers—the decision of how much risk to take is one that an informed consumer must make for herself or himself,” he says. “To assuage client concerns for travel to any location where complex or disruptive conditions may exist, agents can and should ensure their clients understand that agents can use the relationships they have with local ground handlers or tour operators to call for assistance when needed.”

Meader adds that agents can help before a trip, advising about the right kind of travel insurance that can protect clients in a multitude of possible scenarios, and can assist in processing refunds or changes to travel plans where necessary.

But, he adds, “ASTA does not take a position on the current political situation in Europe nor any locale. We do routinely educate our members on relevant alerts and warnings as published by the State Department so that they may advise and support their travelers as needed. To date and to our knowledge, the Department of State has not released any alerts or warnings regarding the circumstances currently under way in Europe.”