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Warwickshire travel firm was preparing an emergency
‘get you home’ strategy for business travellers
afraid of being stranded abroad by war in Iraq.
Exporters
fighting the slump by winning business around
the world were being sent on line updates via
an around-the-world service operated by Travel
Management Group, of Leamington.
The message tells hundreds of regular
clients that wherever they are in the world
from America to the Far East – help is just
a phone call away.
Managing Director George
Dick said:
“We are constantly in touch with the Foreign
& Commonwealth Office to monitor the situation
and to update ourselves with regard to travel
restrictions in countries around the world.
But with a possible war brewing in Iraq
we thought the time was right to remind our
clients that no matter what happens, they won’t
be abandoned in some remote corner of the globe”.
The last time the service was used was in September
2001, when Al Queda terrorists destroyed the
World Trade Centre in New York.
“At that time there were no flights out
of America for several days, so we got our people
home through Canada,” said Mr Dick, who said
TMG issued nearly 100,000 tickets last year.
“The
system worked well then, and our clients were
very pleased, and, with the international climate
the way it is, we thought travellers would like
to know that we will be providing a similar
service if hostilities start while they are
away”.
The firm offers an out of hours phone number,
from which travellers can get advice.
“There’s nothing worse than feeling you
have been stranded in a foreign country when
things are going wrong”, Mr Dick added. “Our
service provides them with a reassuring human
voice, rather than an emotionless recorded message,
no matter what time of day or night they ring”.
“In an emergency, the industry’s only priority
is to get everyone home safely – and as quickly
as possible”, said Mr Dick.
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