3rd March, 2020

Mr. Rahul Lall

Secretary General

FHRAI

Dear Mr. Rahul Lall

Sub: Request for retention waiver for Cancellations due to Coronavirus as some hotels are levying retention charges

This is with reference to our email sent to you on 27th January 2020 regarding cancellations being received by our members due to Coronavirus and requesting for nil cancellations/retention charges by the hotels.

With the recent developments, visa restrictions have been made for travelers from Italy, Japan, South Korea, Iran, Thailand, Singapore and travelers who visited these countries after 1st February 2020 and no Visa is being issued to them by the Bureau of Immigration, Government of India.  Therefore many such tourists are not in a position to visit our country as they are forced to cancel their trip to India, which is resulting lot of cancellations being received by our members from above countries  and for the nationals of other countries who are living in these countries or who visited these countries. We are attaching the latest directives from Ministry of Tourism dated 3rd March, 2020  

While some of the hotels, airlines and IRCTC for Luxury Trains are not charging retention charges, there are some hotels who are not agreeing to waive off the cancellation charges.

The current situation is very serious for the tourism industry and more and more cancellations are coming from all corners of the world. At this time of difficult situation it is requested to cooperate with each other and extend all possible help. This is not the time to make money on retention charges and give a bad feeling to our tourists as this is not their fault to cancel the bookings.  We should convey a positive and cooperative message to the world by waving the cancellation charges and give them a feeling to visit India in the near future. 

May I request you to kindly advise all your hotel members to consider Nil Cancellations charges for the bookings made by our members and  full refund be made to them under force majeure clause and on humanitarian basis.  This gesture shall be appreciated by all Foreign Tour operators and travelers which shall be beneficial for all of us in the Tourism and hospitality Industry.

Just to inform you, all major exhibitions in the month of March including ITB Berlin which is a major tourism fair/mart was scheduled to be held in Belin from 4th - 8th March 2020 has been cancelled due to Coronavirus. 

We look forward to your favourable response on the above.

Thanking you and with best regards,

Sincerely,

President

 

27th January 2020

Mr. Rahul Lall

Secretary General

FHRAI

Dear Mr. Rahul Lall,

Sub: Urgent - Cancellations due to Coronavirus and hotels levying retention charges

As you know Coronavirus is spreading fast out of China and tourists movement from China is getting badly  affected as Chinese nationals have been advised not to travel out of the country, in Wuhan, residents have been advised not to even go out of their homes as per newspapers reports.

Restrictions have been made for travelers going to and coming from 13 Chinese cities, including Wuhan, Huanggang and Ezhou, with countries both in the Asia-Pacific and elsewhere initiating body temperature checks at airports and railway stations to stop those at risk of carrying the virus. On arrival in India, people arriving from China and other affected countries are being thoroughly scanned for medical checkup. Similarly Indian Government has also issued advisory for the India Travellers to not to travel to China.

In this regard, advisories have been issued by General Office of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Government of China and China Association of Travel Services and have advised suspending domestic and foreign group travel and have requested to properly handle the reasonable demands of tourist itineraries, cancellations and refunds and minimize financial losses. (copies enclosed).  

All this is being done to ensure that Coronavirus does not spread into our country.

Apart from China, countries such as Canada, France, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Australia, South Korea, Japan and the U.S. have reported cases of the infection.

All this is resulting lot of cancellations being received by some of our members especially handling China Market as informed by our members.

We have been informed by some of the members that hotels are not agreeing to waive off cancellations charges for such cases or refund, which is beyond any one’s control and is under force majeure of natural calamities.

May I request you that as Secretary General of FHRAI,  to kindly advise all your member hotels to honour such cancellations and do not charge the Cancellation charges and make refund in case of advance as per force majeure clause, which is beyond any one’s control. A copy of the letter being sent by your office to the hotels may please be sent to IATO also.  

We need to keep our country’s image high in such a situation and cooperate with foreign counterparts/clients in this difficult time.

Looking forward to your support and cooperation

Thanking you and with best regards,   

Sincerely,

Pronab Sarkar

President