travel cancellations

[munkispank]

Dear all,
I am currently preparing research documents for a study examining the role of scuba divers in post-disaster recovery.

To all who have cancelled or postponed trips planned for Phuket, Patong Beach or the Simian islands, I would welcome your input.

1) What was your primary motivation for cancelling/postponing your trip?
2) Are you considering the area for a future trip? if so, when.
3) Have you booked for another destination, if so, where?

If you have not cancelled a trip and have travelled or are planning to travel then I would also welcome your comments.

1) What was your primary motivation for NOT cancelling your trip?
2) Were you concerned about any aspects prior to your trip?
3) Did you experience any negative or positive factors during your trip relating to the disaster?


You can PM me, or post responses. I am seeking as many responses as possible and the information will hopefully help those who are involved in disaster recovery in tourist areas. If you would like more information about the study, I have it available.

All answers are annonomus.

Thanks in advance to all repsonders.

 

[catalinakid]

1) What was your primary motivation for NOT cancelling your trip?
2) Were you concerned about any aspects prior to your trip?


Still want to see Similans. Did not want to take my tourist $ away from a struggling region.

A little concern about the quality of the diving, if the reef is affected. More concerned that we are going to be "celebrating" and having fun when all around is there is distruction and people suffering.

But still want to go on the trip and enjoy myself and spread my $$ around, too!

 

[ScubaBaby]

I know its not the same location as you've asked for - however it was affected so maybe of relevance.

Belushi & I were booked to leave for the Maldives (Holiday Island), on Boxing Day (26/12/04). We were flying with an airline I use to work for and when we heard of the tragedy we were still willing to go - even if it was just to help. We contact our island, which confirmed they had been hit but it was very minor in comparison and they were still open. We also contact the airline via. crew numbers I had and they confirmed the flight was still going.

We got to the airport and they confirmed the flight had been cancelled despite Male scheduling reopening before we were due to land.

We returned home and managed to reserve seats with Emirates who were still willing to fly on the 28th. Unfortunately, when we go up on the 27th the Foreign Office advised against travel to the Maldives which would invalidate our insurance this was the reason for cancelling the trip.

We would still happily visit the Maldives or any affected areas. We booked another holiday to Cuba, Caribbean instead but we were disappointed with it as it wasn't the holiday we had hoped for and felt even with everything that had happened, we'd have prefered to have gone to the Maldives and tried to help there.

 

[Batfish]

Scubababy,

Your story is what I heard from a couple of our customers. The governments giving travel advice invalidating insurance is rather infuriating for us and the customers.

Main reasons for not travelling given by customers of ours who cancelled :

Too scared
Worried about disease (not a problem here)
Don't come because they believe the TV, rather that what we tell them
The hotel they were due to stay in was damaged (though 95% of hotels here are undamaged and very easy to rebook)

 

[munkispank]

thanks for the responses guys- these are very helpful.

keep them coming

 

[marigodiva]

1) What was your primary motivation for NOT cancelling your trip?
2) Were you concerned about any aspects prior to your trip?
3) Did you experience any negative or positive factors during your trip relating to the disaster?

So we are not cancelling our trip to Phuket. We already found people to watch our kids, took time off work and made reservations halfway aroung the world, so it would be hard to reschedule. We are first traveling to Singapore to meet up with friends, then arrive in Phuket on the 29th of January. We are still going because we believe the posts from people who are there and have been that many areas are unaffected and we know the Thai people and others who work there need our tourist money to be spent there. We were more worried right after the tsunami, but don't feel too worried anymore. We, too are a little worried about having a great time wihle others suffer, but we know they would rather have us come and celebrate than go someplace else. We still don't have hotel reservations because the hotel we were going to stay in was damaged. I am not sure if we will stay on the beach or up on the hill maybe near Kata beach--less likely to be affected if another tsunami comes, I know not likely. I will post again during or after our stay ther and give more feedback!

 

[Ringo]

1) What was your primary motivation for NOT cancelling your trip?
2) Were you concerned about any aspects prior to your trip?
3) Did you experience any negative or positive factors during your trip relating to the disaster?

So we are not cancelling our trip to Phuket. We already found people to watch our kids, took time off work and made reservations halfway aroung the world, so it would be hard to reschedule. We are first traveling to Singapore to meet up with friends, then arrive in Phuket on the 29th of January. We are still going because we believe the posts from people who are there and have been that many areas are unaffected and we know the Thai people and others who work there need our tourist money to be spent there. We were more worried right after the tsunami, but don't feel too worried anymore. We, too are a little worried about having a great time wihle others suffer, but we know they would rather have us come and celebrate than go someplace else. We still don't have hotel reservations because the hotel we were going to stay in was damaged. I am not sure if we will stay on the beach or up on the hill maybe near Kata beach--less likely to be affected if another tsunami comes, I know not likely. I will post again during or after our stay ther and give more feedback!

Wish more people would think like you do! There will be more damage done with more suffering due to lack of employment if tourists do not return to Phuket very soon. The Thais and local ex pats have worked incredibly fast to repair and rebuild since the Tsunami, but only to find that so far it has all been in vain. Now people are truly starting to despair as they are worried about the lack of business and for how long this can carry on for?

Also the diving is really great at the moment. The Similans is not as damaged as the media reports. Customers returned from a cruise on Le Mahe yesterday and raved that the diving and viz was better than this time last year. Accomodation reservations can easily be made upon arrival so no need to worry about booking in advance.

Thanks to the media for their wonderful exaggerations - they did the perfect job to convince the world that Phuket is disease infested with lack of food and water etc. Ironically these very people took advantage of the opportunity to "work" whilst having a great time on Phuket's beautiful beaches, staying in luxurious accommodation establishments, dining at the best restaurants and enjoy the diving (e..g.those professional reporters on Ocean Rover, Phuket's finest Liveaboard). Bet they could not do this in the truly devastated areas in Asia?

So Marigodiva keep to your plans, come to Phuket and enjoy your holiday! The Thais and ex pat's will be more than happy to see you.

 

[Batfish]

""staying in luxurious accommodation establishments, dining at the best restaurants""

Even just a couple of days after the wave, I went to see a couple of divers at the Novotel in Patong and it was full of journalists on expenses sipping their cocktails before nipping out to get a few camera shots of devastation in between rounds of golf.... Thankfully, the scubaboard seems to be visited by level headed divers who can see through the smoke. The diving never stops!

 

[Kim]

I heard something rather unfortunate yesterday. I am supposed to be going on a liveaboard with the Viking of the Orient in March. I don't want to cancel - I actually already have my ticket and everything. The problem might be (it's not 100% certain yet) that due to other cancellations the Viking may not operate at all this season. I still have my fingers crossed but at this point it isn't looking very good. Still - as it's not a definite thing yet I suppose I'll just have to wait and see what happens.

 

[munkispank]

Thanks guys, this information is great, I'm hoping it will help to improve the situation post-disaster for situations sucha s this. I know there are many in Phuket who have their businesses up and running, but not enough visitors to fill. Obviously this is a very difficult time for all and no one would wish to distract from the pain everyone feels, but it is important for the economy to recover as quickly as possible in order to help the recovery. As Kim mentions above, there are some livaboards which are not runing, and some which are operating at 1/3 capacity. As this is the height of the season, there is lots of income being lost.

Thanks for posting your thoughts evryone.