Crafting a Protective Cancellation Policy for Your Tour & Activity

Tour cancellations are to be an expected part of doing business. But especially during 2020-2021, there was a lot of unpredictability that came with it. With travel restrictions changing day to day and people’s health in flux, it brought attention to an important aspect that needed to be addressed: the cancellation policy. 

A good cancellation policy for your tour & activity is crucial for protecting you and establishing transparent communication with your guests. Cancellation policies can range from simple to more detailed, and the best cancellation policies are crystal clear on the rules. 

The good news is most travelers are accustomed to some sort of policy along these lines. A standard policy might include details such as: 

You may cancel your reservation 7 days before the departure date of the tour for a full refund. 

Any cancellation within 7 days and up to 24 hours before the departure date of the tour will be charged the paid deposit. 

Any cancellation within 24 hours or no show will be charged 100% of the full price. 

If the tour is canceled due to bad weather or breakdown, we will refund your booking.

And here’s an example from a Junglebee customer: 

“20% non-refundable deposit. We will refund any additional balance with a minimum 24 hours notice.

Please note: If you do not show up for the charter, you will be charged for 100% of the cost. In the event of unforeseen circumstances/technical issues on our end, or poor weather conditions, we will do our best to work with you to reschedule the charter. If rescheduling is not an option, a 100% refund will be issued.

Cruise Ship Passengers: If the ship changes the itinerary or arrival/departure times, we will do our best to reschedule the charter with you. If not possible, you will be offered a 100% refund.

**Our standard itinerary features the most unique locations on the island. We strive very hard to deliver on 110% customer satisfaction and that includes keeping you comfortable and safe. Weather and sea conditions can vary making some locations unsafe or unusually uncomfortable to visit by boat. On such days we must choose an alternate location, so, please forgive us if we can’t always get you to that special spot that you really had your heart set on. For any other questions regarding the ******* Tours Cancellation Policy, please contact us.”

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Here are a few tips for crafting your own cancellation policy that works for you: 

• Take inventory of all the most outrageous and unpredictable cancellations that have happened during your time in business. Do any of those issues need to be addressed in your policy now?
  

• Use your cancellation policy as an opportunity to address weather unpredictability, something that can be a problem for many tourism attractions. Communicate the best you can on when guests can expect communications regarding any weather cancellations. 
  

• Consider addressing tardiness and your policy on what happens when the guest is running late. For example, if the guest is a half hour late, how can they alert you of this? Will you still run the tour or will it be cancelled? 

This is your opportunity to set the rules and make sure a communication policy is in place. While your policy shouldn’t be so long that people skip reading it, it should address anything and everything that could potentially go wrong. 

Your cancellation policy is brought to customers attention during the booking process with Junglebee’s software. While making a reservation, the guest must agree to the policy in order to move forward. This helps protect you if and when the issue arises that a guest has to cancel their tour (or you have to). 

Ready to start booking tours with ease? Try Junglebee's booking software for tours.

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