Kipling Tours Covid Policy
Kipling Tours Covid Policy is designed to help you plan your next school trip with confidence. We understand how challenging it can be to plan and promote a school tour under the present circumstances, with different countries rules seeming to change every week and stricter vaccination requirements progressively being brought in. In such a rapidly changing and evolving environment we understand how important it is to keep you as fully informed as possible about any new developments that may affect your tour.
When you discuss your tour with our team, we will make you aware of any current rules and restrictions which you need to be aware of, and what, if any, changes we foresee which may apply at the time of travel.
The Foreign Office advises against all but essential travel to your destination
If there is Foreign Office advice against travel to your destination and your departure date is also imminent (within 2 weeks) then we would work with you to either postpone your trip to another suitable date or, if you didn’t want to postpone, we would cancel your tour and issue you with a full refund. A refund is only available if Foreign Office advice pertains when departure is imminent and to avoid doubt, we would not make a decision to cancel a tour more than 30 days before travel. The point at which a tour will be cancelled in these circumstances is at our absolute discretion.
Border Closures at the Destination
If the destination country is closed to travellers from the UK, we would offer you the option either to postpone your trip to future dates or, if you were unable to postpone, we would cancel your tour and provide a full refund. To avoid doubt, we would be unlikely to make a decision to cancel a tour more than 30 days before travel.
Mandatory arrival quarantine at your destination
Some countries currently have requirements to quarantine on arrival for 5 days or more, irrespective of whether you are fully vaccinated. If there was an unavoidable requirement to quarantine on arrival at your destination to the extent that your tour was not possible to operate, or it severely curtailed the itinerary, we would offer you the option either to postpone your trip to future dates or, if you were unable to postpone, we would cancel your tour and provide a full refund. A decision regarding this would be made around two weeks prior to departure.
National or Regional Lockdown Restrictions in the UK
If there is a national or regional lockdown in place in the UK which makes overseas travel prohibited by law or which makes it unlawful to travel to the departure airport, then we would offer either a date deferral or would cancel the tour and issue a full refund of all monies paid.
Other Covid Related Restrictions
If it is not possible to operate your tour without contravening Covid regulations in the destination country we would offer you the option either to postpone your trip to future dates or, if you were unable to postpone, we would cancel your tour and provide a full refund. For the avoidance of doubt, not being fully vaccinated if required to be so does not constitute grounds to cancel under this provision. In accordance with our booking conditions, all travellers must comply with any entry requirements at the destination, whether that be visas or vaccinations
Not Being Fully Vaccinated
Many countries now make it a condition of entry that travellers12 years of age and over are fully vaccinated. Some countries which allow unvaccinated travellers or unvaccinated minors to enter may at the same time have strict rules on what you can or cannot do once you are in the country. We cannot give refunds on account of being unvaccinated or partially vaccinated where full vaccination is a requirement of entry to the country or a requirement to enter indoor public spaces such as hotels, restaurants and museums. This is irrespective of the rules which may pertain at the time of booking, if they were different.
Cancelling "Because of Covid"
We cannot provide a refund if a tour member contracts Covid or tests positive before departure. This risk can be ameliorated by taking out our insurance policy which is provided by Endsleigh. This policy has a special Covid Enhancement which provides cancellation cover for individual trip members if they become ill or test positive before departure. Please see our insurance section for details or ask your travel advisor. We cannot give a refund due to disinclination to travel due to fear or apprehension of Covid if there are no other impediments to operating the tour as planned.