UK holiday companies extend package tours ban

Some British holiday companies today extended the ban on package tours to the areas worst hit by the tsunami tragedy.

Earlier this week, UK tour operators said they would not be operating holidays to the coastal areas of Sri Lanka and Thailand before January 7.

Today, some companies said the ban would be in place until the end of January. Other tour operators were expected to follow suit.

Packages to non-coastal areas of Sri Lanka and Thailand are continuing. Although the Indian Ocean islands of the Maldives were damaged by tsunami, much of the tourist infrastructure is intact and tourist flights are operating to and from the area this weekend.

Speaking of the extension of the ban today, Association of British Travel Agents’ corporate affairs head Keith Betton said: “This is a sensible move by tour operators which reflects the worries about health and safety locally. Customers will now know where they stand.

“Clearly, holiday companies will want to closely monitor the situation on a day-to-day basis.”