Today, Busabout has announced they are suspending operations (including Shamrocker Adventures) until 2023 due to COVID-19 and the associated travel restrictions.
COVID-19 has severely crippled the travel industry, and Busabout seems to be the first youth travel brand to take such drastic measures in reaction to the Coronavirus pandemic.
Busabout, which is part of The Travel Corporation that owns other popular brands such as Contiki and Haggis Adventures has said suspending tours was “the most difficult decision we’ve ever had to make as a business.”
Busabout’s unique travel style requires friction-free travel between countries to operate safely, and with no idea what the future holds in the ever-changing climate, Busabout has said “it would be too risky for us and for our guests to go ahead with our 2021 plans as usual.”
This news is going to be devastating for many young travellers, but we need to realise that it is also heartbreaking for Busabout and its employees.
COVID-19 has impacted businesses and industries in ways which no one could ever have imagined.
And for a company like Busabout which offers such freedom of movement, to have that freedom disrupted, it is no surprise that such drastic action is required.
In August 2020, Busabout initially informed they would be suspending its tours until mid 2022; however as that deadline loomed ever-closer, Busabout announced all 2022 tours would be scraped.
We reached out to Busabout and received this update on 10th May:
Unfortunately, we wont’ be running our normal Busabout trips for 2022.
We are however, running our Contiki, Haggis and Highland Explorer trips which offer similar products to Busabout.
On 20th April 2022, Busabout tweeted that they would continue to update their followers “until the doors to the world are flung back open”Â
There has only been a handful of tweets since then which does raise concerns that perhaps all is not as it seems at Busabout HQs.
Until the doors to the world are flung back open, we'll keep you connected to the stories and experiences we need most so that though you may not be able to explore the world as usual, we'll do our very best to bring the world to you. #HomeAbout pic.twitter.com/Hep9lGVIh1
— Busabout (@Busabout) April 20, 2020
Busabout has announced a Future Travel Credit (FTC) scheme for affected passengers and those already booked onto a 2021 departure which will be made available to be used across multiple Travel Corporation brands.
If and when you want to use your travel credit, you will need to contact the brand you’re interested in travelling with, and they will be able to assist you with your booking.
Your Future Travel Credit will expire on the 31st of December 2022.
If you were considering to travel with Busabout in 2021, you could use your Future Travel Credit for a Contiki trip – which is also operated by The Travel Corporation.
Other brands similar to Busabout include Topdeck, Travel Talk and Stoke Travel.
Please note that these brands are not associated with Busabout of The Travel Corporation, and your Future Travel Credit is not valid with these brands.
Busabout has stated that there are no fees for moving your booking to another trip operated by their sister companies or changing your departure date.
You will need to reschedule your trip at least 30 days before departure though to avoid cancellation penalties or fees.
If your new trip is more expensive, then you’ll need to pay the difference; however, if your new re-booked trip is cheaper than the trip fare you’ve already paid, then you’ll be refunded the difference.
Please check the Busabout announcement page for full details.
Please check the Busabout and Shamrocker Adventures websites for further information & updates.
