The Llama Travel Blog

Worldwide Holidays Brochure

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For UK Operators selling Packages in the UK only

In accordance with the UK Package Travel & Linked Travel Regulations 2018 all passengers booking with Llama Travel Ltd are fully protected for the initial deposit and subsequently the balance of all monies received by us, including repatriation costs and arrangements, arising from cancellation or curtailment of your travel arrangements due to the insolvency of Llama Travel Ltd.

There is no requirement for Financial Protection of day trips or single elements, and none is provided. 

Llama Travel Ltd has taken out an insurance provided by International Passenger Protection Ltd (IPP) with Liberty Mutual Insurance Europe SE (LMIE) trading as Liberty Specialty Markets, a member of the Liberty Mutual Insurance Group. LMIE's registered office: 5-7 rue Leon Laval, L-3372, Leudelange, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, Registered Number B232280 (Registre de Commerce et des Sociétés).  LMIE is a European public limited liability company and is supervised by the Commissariat aux Assurances and licensed by the Luxembourg Minister of Finance as an insurance and reinsurance company. This insurance is only valid for passengers who book and pay directly with/to Llama Travel Ltd. 

In the event of our insolvency please make contact as soon as practically possible giving full details of what has happened quoting the name of your Travel Operator:

IPP Claims at Sedgwick

Telephone: +44 (0)345 266 1872

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.         

or online at http://www.ipplondon.co.uk/claims.asp

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30/04/20

Llama Travel completes cancellation refunds

Llama Travel, which offers holidays to Latin America and Africa, has offered its customers a choice of rebooking for a later date up to a value of 110% of the cost of their original holiday, or a full refund.

We have now sent refunds to everyone who has asked for their money back for holidays until the end of June, and we are in the process of finalising new arrangements for everyone who has rebooked.

We will continue to offer these options to our customers for later departures which are affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

“This situation is of course difficult for all travel businesses. Fortunately, Llama Travel has adequate funds, and we believe that by doing the right thing and treating customers fairly, we will be in a great position to offer excellent holidays once again when the current situation is behind us.”

- Luca Newbold, Llama Travel Director

If you would like more information about how Llama Travel is managing the impact of coronavirus on our business, please call director Luca Newbold on 020 7263 3000.

15/04/20

Some tour operators are giving refunds

Recent reports that travel companies are not offering refunds for cancelled holidays are not true for all operators.

For example, AITO member Llama Travel, which offers holidays to Latin America and Africa, is offering its customers a choice of rebooking for a later date up to a value of 110% of the cost of their original holiday, or a full refund. Most customers are choosing to rebook now and many of those opting for a refund also say they will rebook once they know when they can safely travel again.

Although we have not received refunds from some airlines and other suppliers for costs that have been prepaid, we believe that customers have paid us for their holiday and, given that it cannot be delivered, they are entitled to a refund of the money they paid. Llama Travel is therefore issuing refunds from our own resources. Although we will be faced with a large amount of costs that we cannot recover, we have adequate funds and this will not impair our ability to resume operations once the current situation is behind us.

Whilst many tour operators and travel bodies are asking the government to amend the Package Travel Regulations so that they can issue credit notes instead of a refund, we are aware that Llama Travel is not alone in refunding customers without waiting for this. Hopefully, those who treat their customers well now will get a benefit when travel resumes again.

If you would like more information about how Llama Travel is managing the impact of coronavirus on our business, please call director Luca Newbold on 020 7263 3000.

We know that many of you are longing to travel again, and holidays to some destinations are now restarting. We are constantly reviewing the situation in all our destinations and we will only operate holidays if we feel that this is such that people are able to have a good, safe trip, based on UK and local government advice.

 Flexibility, including a full refund if your holiday cannot operate

We are delighted that Which? and several newspapers including The Guardian and The Telegraph recognised our efforts in how we have dealt with our customers during the pandemic. We will continue to put our customers first.

We are reviewing whether a trip can operate approximately 60 days before the departure date. At that stage, if the holiday cannot go ahead, we are offering all customers the option to rebook for a future date or get a full refund.

What’s more, you can defer your trip to a later date at any point until 60 days before departure, even if the holiday can go ahead.

Financial position

We know that some people may be concerned about travel companies going out of business in the current environment. We are fortunate that Llama Travel has been successful in recent years and has built up very strong cash reserves, which has meant that we have been able to provide refunds promptly, even, for example, when we haven’t received money back from airlines. This situation, whilst clearly unwelcome, is not a problem for us financially. We can also confirm that ATOL protection will continue to apply to any holiday transferred to a new date and all new bookings.

We will look after you no matter what

When the pandemic struck, our first priority was to repatriate all of our passengers who were on holiday in Latin America and Africa when travel restrictions were implemented. Our team worked tirelessly to make sure everyone could return to the UK as quickly and safely as possible, and we have been overwhelmed by kind messages from our passengers:

“We are indeed safely back home and I should like to thank Llama Travel, and in particular Scott, for their efforts and organisation in getting us here in a timely fashion. I believe that without the support of your company we would have been left behind and trapped in quarantine for an indefinite period. Although sad to have had our adventure curtailed, it is a preferable outcome to be safely home.” 

 - Mr and Mrs S returned early from Argentina.

Vaccinations and travel

There has been speculation about vaccination passports and whether these will be required for travel. Some countries are making the process of travel easier for those fully vaccinated, and we are monitoring the situation in the UK and all of our destinations, and we will advise our customers of specific entry requirements.

Thank you for your patience

On behalf of all of us at Llama Travel, we hope you and your friends, family and colleagues are safe and well. We know that this is a difficult time for everyone, but once the situation returns to normal, Llama Travel, and our partners in Latin America and Africa, are looking forward to helping you enjoy a fantastic holiday.

If you have any additional questions, please call us on 020 7263 3000.

Thank you for downloading our Africa brochure. Please contact us if you have any questions.

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Thank you for downloading our Latin America Brochure. Please contact us if you have any questions.

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Thank you for downloading the Llama Travel Africa Brochure.

Thank you for downloading the Llama Travel Latin America Brochure.

One of the great benefits of working for Llama Travel is that I am able to visit some of the most beautiful places in the world, and in my opinion there is no place more magnificent than the Torres del Paine National Park, in the south of Chile.

The park is most famous for the Paine Massif, a towering collection of rocks that rise up to the sky, scraping heights of 2,800m and so creating an incredible sight on the horizon. However, this blog is not about the magnificence of the park itself, if it was it would be a lot longer with a lot more superlatives. It is instead about the Rio Serrano hotel, Llama Travel’s choice of hotel and a personal favourite of mine.