Terror threats are no longer enough to scare Danish tourists. Very few Danes have cancelled their upcoming trips to Bali following the deadly terror attack that hit the island last week, reveals representatives from the Danish travel industry.
According to travel agencies like Hannibal & Marco Polo, customers with an already-booked vacation in Bali have even called in, insisting that they would not consider canceling their trip. Hannibal & Marco Polo had 20 guests staying on Bali when last week’s bombings occurred, yet only two of these chose to cut their stay short.
In a quick survey conducted by the Danish daily Politiken this past weekend, the large majority of Danish travel agencies say that they have barely had any cancellations. Instead they have had unwavering sales to destinations such as Bali and Thailand – in spite of the recent warnings from the foreign ministries in both Denmark, Sweden, and Norway.
Exchange Bali with Malaysia or Thailand
So far only one Danish travel agency has decided to cancel all their trips to Bali until December, namely Star Tour. Their decision was made due to the fact that it is the first time so far that all three Scandinavian foreign ministries are issuing the same level of concern for one destination in Southeast Asia. Instead, Star Tour has promised its customers to exchange any purchased vacation in Bali with a stay in Malaysia, Brazil, or Thailand.
If Disaster Strikes
That the travel times have changed is obvious to the Danish Association of Travel Agencies, who is now working with the Danish Consumer Board (Forbrugerstyrelsen) to reach an agreement that will make it possible to provide quick transportation home for Danes abroad when a certain area is hit by either terror attacks or natural disasters. One of the main questions being discussed in this connection is: Who will pay the bill for such a large-scale home transportation? Denmark’s Minister of Consumer Affairs, Lars Barfoed, has launched this process and he is expected have a law proposal ready by the end of this year.
