Sun-seekers could lose deposits in event of war

IRISH sun-seekers worried about war in the Gulf will lose deposits for holidays booked unless their destination is on the Government’s ‘danger list’.

“Normal contractual conditions will apply,” Brendan Moran, chief executive of the Irish Association of Travel Agents,” said yesterday.

Travellers who have holidays planned to either Greece, Turkey or Cyprus could lose out completely if they have already paid for their trip in full. None of these countries are

included in the list of countries to be avoided issued last week by the Department of Foreign Affairs.

“We will abide by whatever the Department advises,” Mr Moran said. He was speaking in the wake of growing concern by holidaymakers worried about what will happen when the conflict begins in earnest.

Mr Moran added: “You have to remember that in Turkey, for example, the holiday resorts are as far away as Prague is from Dublin.”

His advice was echoed by a spokesman for Panorama Holiday who said: “If people want to cancel for personal reasons that is their business. The normal cancellation fees will apply.”

Irish travellers planning trips anywhere near the Gulf were also advised yesterday to be cautious and to negotiate with their travel agents if they want to cancel.

“If tickets are issued it could be very difficult to change them and they might lose out,” Dermot Jewell, chief executive of the Consumers Association of Ireland said.

That’s exactly what Patricia O’Neill, a veteran traveller, did. She had booked two weeks in Cyprus and, although the sun island is not on the danger list, she was nervous about going there.

“I contacted my travel agent and they told me that if was worried I would probably be better off changing. Now, I am going to the Costa Del Sol, but I still lost my deposit.”

A spokesman for the Department of Foreign Affairs said that it was not advising against trips to either Turkey, Greece or Cyprus and stood by last week’s guidelines.

"This is similar to the current advice given by the British Foreign Office.

“We have no reason to believe that Cyprus is at risk of attack from Iraq and therefore we see no reason for holiday plans to be changed”, said a spokesman.

Turkey, which has an extensive tourist industry, is the only European country bordering Iraq and could come under direct fire in the event of a conflict.

During the last Gulf war Kurds in northern Iraq tried to flee across the border in their thousands as Saddam Hussein launched a chemical attack on them.

The area in southern Turkey bordering Iraq is not a developed tourist area but attracts backpackers and long-haul travellers.

A Department of Foreign Affairs statement said: “Irish citizens intending to travel to certain parts of the Middle East should be aware of the risk of military conflict and should exercise extreme caution.”

Worries about the Gulf has not deterred Irish sun-seekers, according to Tony Brazil, president of the Irish Travel Agents Association.

“It’s steady as she goes,” he said yesterday. “Winter sun bookings are about 5% up on last year. There are more queries being made but most customers are just looking for reassurance,” he said.