Terrified tourists lose out after Turkey bus bombing

ELAINE and her three friends had saved hard for their holiday to Kusadasi on August 1.

Then, last Saturday, news broke that five people including 17-year-old Irish tourist Tara Whelan had been killed in a terrorist bus bombing in the Turkish resort.

"We're four young girls, so we're terrified after what happened, especially with reports saying there could be further bombings," said Elaine Harrington.

Elaine and her friends, Clare Twomey, Valerie Sykes and Kate Fitzpatrick, all aged 19 and from Blarney, Co Cork, said they were more worried following warnings by the Department of Foreign Affairs telling people to be extra careful.

"We went into Budget Travel in Blackpool and we asked could we do a swap and go to a different place. We didn't even want a refund, but they said no, you had to cancel."

Of the €684 each of them paid, they would have to pay a cancellation fee of 60% or €410.

Both Elaine and Clare are students in Cork Institute of Technology and work part-time, while Valerie and Kate are trainee hairdressers.

"We wouldn't really have the money to cancel. We've been saving so long and to lose €410 is a lot, but we don't want to go on the holiday."

Elaine said Budget Travel were selling the package on behalf of Omni Tours. When she contacted them, they said they could not offer an alternative.

"I'm not at all happy at how I've been dealt with," said Elaine.

Another caller to the Irish Examiner said she had paid out €1,600 for a flight, going out today, with Sunworld for herself, her husband and her nine-year-old daughter.

"They won't refund me or send me anywhere else, they don't want to know.

A spokesperson for Budget Travel said they offered a refund for those who were travelling out to Kusadasi last Sunday, but that after that normal cancellation procedures applied.

She said that until the Department of Foreign Affairs said Kusadasi was unsafe they would operate as normal.

A spokesperson for Sunworld said their normal cancellation policy applied but would try to offer an alternative, subject to availability (which is limited) and an amendment fee.

A spokesperson for Falcon said they had extended their offer to refund flights up to next Monday.