The Federal Tourism Agency answered tourists' most frequently asked questions about the situation in Georgia, including cancelled trips, refunds, and more.
1. Refund of tickets for flights to Georgia after July 8, 2019
For air tickets Organized and independent tourists flying to Georgia after July 8, 2019 are required to receive a full refund.
To do this you need to:
- Organized tourists should contact the travel agent or tour operator with whom the contract for the sale of the tourist product has been concluded with a request for a full refund of the cost of the tourist product, including air tickets;
- Independent tourists contact the agency where they purchased their airline tickets;
2. Refunds for tickets with departure dates up to July 8, 2019
Organized tourists must receive a full refund of the cost of their tour package, including airfare, for departures between June 21, 2019, and July 8, 2019. To do so, tourists must contact their travel agent or tour operator with whom they have a contract for the sale of their tour package and request a full refund. If the travel agent/tour operator refuses or leaves their request unanswered, tourists must file a complaint with the court at their place of residence and with Rospotrebnadzor (Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing) at the location of the travel agent/tour operator regarding their actions (inactions).
Independent tourists have the right to appeal to the place where they purchased their airline tickets in accordance with the Civil Code of the Russian Federation and consumer protection legislation (the tourist writes a statement to the agency requesting a refund of the cost of the airline ticket, and if the agency refuses or leaves the statement unanswered, he or she applies to the court at the place of residence and files a complaint with Rospotrebnadzor at the location of the agency).
3. Refund of tickets at non-refundable rates
Regardless of the presence or absence of a non-refundable clause ("non-refundable") on an air ticket, its cost is refunded in full in the event of a passenger's forced cancellation of the flight, if transportation on any segment was not completed.
A forced refusal of carriage by a passenger is recognized as a refusal, including in the event of cancellation of the flight indicated on the ticket (clause 2 of Article 108 of the Air Code of the Russian Federation; clause 227 of the Order of the Ministry of Transport of Russia dated 28.06.2007 No. 82; clauses 116, 117 of the Order of the Ministry of Transport of Russia dated 25.09.2008 No. 155).
4. Selection of alternative tours for departure dates
In this situation, tourists have the unconditional right to demand both termination of the contract for the sale of the tourist product and amendments to its terms due to a significant change in circumstances (deterioration of travel conditions, etc.). Such amendments include, among other things, the selection of alternative tours for departure dates (change of destination and/or vacation duration). With the consent of the parties to the contract, such amendments are formalized in writing as an additional agreement to the contract.
5. Refunds of tickets from foreign airlines
Considering that foreign companies are not prohibited from carrying out air transportation (including commercial) of citizens from the territory of the Russian Federation to the territory of Georgia, if a tourist refuses an air ticket from a foreign airline, he must contact that company (or its representative office in the Russian Federation) with a corresponding application.
If a foreign company refuses or leaves the application unanswered, the tourist should file a complaint with the court at their place of residence and with Rospotrebnadzor at the agency's location.
6. Cancellation of accommodation reservations in Georgia
When an independent tourist cancels a paid reservation at an accommodation facility in Georgia, he/she submits a corresponding application to the accommodation facility.
7. Refusal of the tour operator to terminate the contract before the start of the trip with a subsequent refund
In this situation, the tour operator's refusal to terminate the contract before the start of the trip, with a subsequent refund, is unlawful, and the tourist has the right to seek termination through the courts. If the court upholds the tourist's claims, the court will fine the tour operator 50%, based on the amount awarded to the tourist for voluntarily refusing to satisfy their legal claims.
8. Request for safety recommendations for independent travel to Georgia before July 8, 2019
Since Rostourism has officially informed tourists (excursionists) about the situation in Georgia, independent tourists should make an informed decision when planning trips to this country for leisure purposes, starting from June 21, 2019.
9. Who will refund the transit fees?
If a tour operator provided a tourist with a transit flight as part of a tour product, then, in accordance with Article 14 of Federal Law 132-FZ, the tour operator will refund the tourist the full cost of the tour product.
If such a tour operator delivers a tourist only to Moscow and does not provide transportation to the tourist's starting point, and the tourist is forced to pay for transit independently, the tourist retains documents confirming the costs of transit transportation and presents them to the tour operator for compensation.
If a tourist paid a travel agent for transit, a claim for reimbursement of expenses, accompanied by documents confirming these expenses, is presented by the tourist to the travel agent, including through legal proceedings.
Source: trn-news.ru