Sports Tours International Latest Travel Advice

Our team is continually monitoring any travel guidance updates, in relation to the current Coronavirus outbreak (COVID-19). We are taking our information from official sources such as UK’s Foreign Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFA), ABTA, Public Health England, and the local health authorities in the countries where our events are taking place.

If any advice is given by the FCO or DFA, against all but essential travel to your event destination or if event organisers decide or are forced to cancel their events, we will respond promptly. Once we have confirmation that we will no longer be able to provide your holiday or the event that you are travelling for; we will contact you as soon as possible.

Where destinations are subject to official travel restrictions or if events are cancelled; we are working proactively with customers who are due to travel imminently to quickly find a satisfactory solution. Please see below for further detail.

If the event is cancelled then we will get in touch with you, as far in advance of your departure date as possible, and discuss your alternative travel options with you.

The options presented to you may include;

• the chance to postpone your trip and rearrange for a later date
• transferring  your booking to and participation on an alternative tour
• to receive a refund of your travel package

If you would like to postpone or transfer your package booking to a future date or if you would just like more time to explore your options, you will be issued with an ABTA bonded credit note within 14 days of the cancellation or postponement of your trip. These Credit notes will be for the total monies paid to date and will be valid until 31st January 2021.

More information about the ABTA Credit Note scheme can be found here and below

If there are travel restrictions in place but the event and all elements of the holiday that you’ve booked with us are going ahead as normal and you make the decision not to travel and opt to cancel your holiday yourself then our usual terms and conditions of cancellation apply – please look HERE for full details. If we are able to cancel your entry, hotel and other elements and obtain a refund then we may be able to give you a refund but this can’t be guaranteed.

We will only refund your event entry or hospitality ticket if we have been refunded by the event organisers. In some cases the event organiser have it in their terms and conditions that the entry fee will not be refunded under any circumstances. We will do our best to obtain a refund and pass it on to you but we may not always be able to do so.

This is dependent on your own travel insurance policy and the conditions within it. It might be worth contacting your travel insurance provider directly, to check whether you can make a claim.

We ask that you pay the remaining balance for your holiday as normal unless we tell you otherwise. This can be done safe in the knowledge that, if for any reason we have to cancel your holiday, we will provide you with a full refund on your travel package. In many cases, we have to make payments to suppliers and hoteliers, before your trip commences. We need to have received your payments in advance to be able to do this. We will send you a balance reminder, if we have not received payment for your full tour on time. We also reserve the right to treat your booking as cancelled; if we are still yet to receive your remaining payment 7 days after this reminder has been sent. In this case,  our usual cancellation charges apply (including the full cost of any flights we have booked on your behalf).

Advice for UK travellers:

• UK health authorities are providing advice for specific destinations and locations which is available at www.gov.uk/guidance/novel-coronavirus-information-for-the-public
• Travellers are advised to read the FCO travel advice for the country they are travelling to. Visit www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice
• The National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC) TravelHealthPro website travelhealthpro.org.uk/countries provides country-by-country travel health advice
• The NHS website has useful information about how to take preventative measures against Coronavirus at www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19
• ABTA also has updated advice and FAQs for travellers at www.abta.com/coronavirus

Essential information to enter the UK (effective 31.10.20)

The United Kingdom is taking steps to help stop the spread of COVID-19.

1. To protect your health and others’, everyone must complete an online passenger locator form before arrival in the United Kingdom
2. You may be required to self-isolate for 14 days on arrival. Check the exempt countries list immediately before you travel as this list can change at short notice
3. It is a legal requirement that you wear a face covering on public transport in the UK

Failure to comply with the above measures is a criminal offence and you could be fined. Please visit www.gov.uk/uk-border-control for detailed public health advice and requirements for entering the UK. Full and further information can be found HERE.

Travelling from outside the UK? Here are some websites you may like to consult:

• Ireland: Department of Foreign Affairs
• USA: State Department Travel Advisory
• Canada: Travel Advice & Advisories
• Australia: Smart Traveller information service
• New Zealand: SafeTravel

Sports Tours International is one of the largest independent sports tour operators. We have been in business for over 45 years, and because we are firm believers in putting our customers first, and in doing business responsibly, we are members of all the leading tourism industry organisations like ABTA, IATA and the CAA’s ATOL scheme. All the monies paid by our customers to us for their travel packages are covered by our ATOL licence or the ABTA’s bonding scheme. Before you book your holiday we advise you to look out for indication that your travel provider has membership for these organisations, so you know you are dealing with a reputable company.