Zika virus triggers travel 'red alert' — Tours to Central and South America can get refunds if canceled

▲ Geographic distribution of the global spread of the Zika virus. (Image / Screenshot from the Global Epidemiological Briefing on Zika Virus Infection)

Reported by Lai Wen-hsuan / Taipei

In response to the Zika virus outbreak, the CDC established a Zika virus command center this morning, classifying the virus as a Category V notifiable infectious disease. The travel health notice level for Central and South America and the Caribbean has been raised to Level 2 (Alert). To protect consumers' travel rights, tour groups to Central and South America can be canceled with refunds.

▲ Zika virus declared a global health emergency by WHO, Taiwan sets up department-level command center. (Image / Provided by the CDC)

On the 2nd, after discussions with the Executive Yuan's Consumer Protection Committee, the Travel Agent Association of ROC, and the Travel Quality Assurance Association, the Tourism Bureau stated that if travelers join tours to Central and South America and the Caribbean and cancel their trips due to the outbreak, they may choose the more favorable option between Article 28-1 (if there are objective risk factors before departure, the contract may be terminated, but the traveler must compensate the agency for necessary expenses already incurred and no more than 5% of the tour cost) or Article 27 (the traveler must compensate the tour cost based on a percentage according to how close the cancellation date is to the departure date) of the standard overseas travel contract.

If travelers and travel agencies encounter disputes over cancellations and refunds that cannot be resolved, they may file a complaint with the Tourism Bureau or the Travel Quality Assurance Association of the Republic of China, which will assist in mediation and resolution. If the epidemic situation escalates further, relevant authorities will be consulted to adjust refund policies accordingly.