Wildfires are actively burning in multiple locations across continents, including in popular tourist destinations such as Italy and Turkey. With disruption and uncertainty for holidaymakers spreading as fast as the fires themselves, a number of travel agencies have published advice for travellers if their trip is impacted by wildfires.
Stressful Situation
Wildfires have a devastating impact on livelihoods, the environment, and transport, and can cause strain on emergency service infrastructure. They also significantly affect the aviation industry by reducing visibility, creating hazardous airspace, and disrupting flight operations, as well as endangering crew and posing mechanical risks to aircraft. During the busiest period of the summer travel season, popular tourist regions have seen evacuations, road closures, and transport disruptions as emergency services battle highly destructive and rapidly spreading wildfires. Although many airports remain open, depending on the situation, travellers can potentially experience delayed flights, cancellations, and disrupted schedules across the board.
In the event of such uncertainty, the first instinct for many holidaymakers is to refresh the app or website of the airline they booked their flight with and hope for good news. However, there is a much broader picture of potential problems that can arise, many of which often start after a cancellation. An already stressful situation can be made even worse by unknowingly making simple mistakes, which can result in missing out on replacement flights, or losing hundreds of pounds in unexpected costs.
Top Tips
A number of travel agencies, insurance companies, and media outlets have offered advice for tourists whose trips have been impacted by wildfires. The most frequent top tips offered include the following.
- Stay in the loop: Remain informed about the condition of the area you are in, check or contact your airline, accommodation provider or tour operator for ongoing updates, and regularly check authority announcements.
- Protect the rest of your holiday: Alert the providers of any excursions or accommodation of your delay as soon as you know for the best chance of rearranging or cancelling with a refund.
- Rebook quickly but do not panic: When rebooking or rescheduling flights, see what deals are around you, don’t panic book the first one you see, equally, do not spend too much time waiting for the best deal and lose out altogether!
- Keep receipts: Many tourists are able to claim back any extra unexpected costs incurred as a result of delays and cancellations, for example, airport transfers, additional hotel nights, replaced transport, food and drink, and more.
- Check insurance: Find out if your travel insurance covers disruption as a result of natural disasters to see what sort of compensation you could be owed.
- Prepare important items ahead of time: Ensure that your important documentation and essential items are safe but easily accessible. For example, download boarding passes or tickets, carry a portable phone charger, and carry any print-outs or important personal documents in a plastic wallet.
- Think beyond today: Disruptions to travel can last even after a wildfire has been controlled, so think ahead and prepare.
Most importantly, it is recommended that tourists make themselves aware of their rights in these situations as well as what support is available to them, to make safe, informed decisions.
Our thoughts and condolences to those impacted by the recent wildfires.
