What can a tour company do when holiday disasters strike? Plenty, it turns out

The travel industry is used to dealing with emergencies. Lone travellers, not so much. Airline cancellations, natural disasters, political agitation and other unfortunate events put us in a tailspin – especially as we’re competing with other travellers over alternative arrangements.

In an increasingly volatile world, you can’t match the organisational oomph of travel companies. Their experience was honed through the coronavirus pandemic, while a 2020 High Court decision that found a tour operator liable for customer “disappointment and distress” over a disrupted holiday sharpened attention.

Airline disruptions are often a traveller’s biggest headache. “It’s important to act quickly as there’s a mad scramble for seats,” says Dennis Bunnik, joint chief executive of Australian company Bunnik Tours.

Those with flights booked as part of a package are in a better position. “Tour companies have in-house airfare expertise and strong and deep relationships with airlines,” explains Bunnik.

In March, when Gulf airlines were first impacted by the Iran crisis, Bunnik Tours quickly co-ordinated local contacts in Egypt and Jordan, then set up a crisis management team so all information was channelled through a central point.

It quickly had a full report on which tours and passengers were impacted, so their emergency assistance team could contact customers to provide reassurance.

“As we controlled the flights in our system, we were able to make alternative arrangements, which also extended to passengers due to depart in the following weeks,” says Bunnik.

Other strengths of tour companies are that they can monitor disruptions in real time, and usually have established contingency plans.

“There’s also reassurance in out-of-hours assistance and in having a dedicated leader with you on the ground to manage logistics and communication in emergencies,” says Sarah Higgins, global brand manager for World Expeditions.

She explains that all these advantages allow tour companies to adjust early by rerouting itineraries or postponing departures. “We take on the administrative burden and decision-making, so travellers aren’t left trying to navigate complex changes on their own.”

For more minor issues, guides and tour leaders have standing authority to alter tour itineraries when circumstances merit it, such as changing the sightseeing order on any given day – for example, because of adverse weather.

More serious climate events require greater solutions. In November 2025, when central Vietnam experienced serious floods, Bunnik Tours’ product team was able to come up with a new itinerary to replace the planned program in flood-affected regions.

Such changes don’t have to derail the holiday. “Our customers enjoyed some niche experiences and loved Ninh Binh, not included in our regular itinerary,” says Bunnik. “They were paddled down the Ngo Dong River in sampans amid karst mountains and rice fields.”

If all else fails, consumer guarantees entitle customers to compensation for delays, changes and cancellations. If replacement services aren’t provided within reasonable time, alternative services or refunds must be instead – something tour companies with an eye on customer loyalty ought to offer as a matter of course.