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On
arriving at the hotel, they
were informed that the
reservations had not been made
and that they could not stay
at the hotel. / One of many
photos published by tourist on
Facebook.
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Travel agency again causes
controversy
with 180 tourists who traveled to
Cancun
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By
the A.M.
Costa Rica staff
On Wednesday morning, 180
tourists, mostly Costa Ricans,
reported being tricked into a
vacation package to Cancun, Mexico
by the travel agency, Destinos TV.*
According to complaints made on
social networks, tourists had
purchased a package that included
plane tickets, transfers, and
accommodation at the Oasis hotel
located in Cancun*,
Mexico. On arriving at the hotel,
they were informed that the
reservations had not been made and
that they could not stay at the
hotel.
Tourists' report they had to wait
more than six hours in the street
until they received a response
from the travel agency.
Travel agency Destinos TV replied
in a press release confirmed the
transfer of tourists. "Today
(Wednesday), in the early hours of
the morning, 180 passengers
boarded the San José-Cancun flight
at the Juan Santamaría airport at
2:55 a.m., a scheduled flight time
on the Viva Aerobus airline, a
Mexican company with which
Destinos TV operates more than 100
flights a year on time. Passengers
arrived at 5:25 am local time in
Cancun, and then they were
transferred to the hotel and at
6:30 a.m. they arrived at the
Oasis hotel," he said in his
statement.
According to the agency, the
problem with the lodging was
because "when they arrived in
Cancun at the Hotel de la Cadena
Oasis, they [the hotel] could not
deliver the rooms when the
passengers arrived because they
were not ready at that time. It is
an operational issue for groups
leaving at that same time."
TV Destinations said that the
delay was due to the high season
but that all 180 tourists had
already been settled in respective
rooms. "The involuntary high
season delays in airlines and
hotels are normal, although
logically they create
inconveniences among passengers
due to the high flow of income. At
the time of entry was not the
hotel manager and only received a
response from reception staff. At
10 a.m. local time in Costa Rica
all passengers have received their
respective rooms."
However, on social networks,
tourists deny what was said by the
travel agency and confirmed that
many people had to pay for
accommodations in another hotel.
This is the second
case in ten months in which the
company caused controversy by
breaching the terms of
travel packages that it sells to
tourists.
As A.M. Costa
Rica reported on June 15th,
2018, 300 tourists, mainly
Costa Ricans, who had
purchased World Cup trips from
Destinos TV and were preparing
to travel to Russia were left
stuck at the Juan
Santamaría airport*.
The charter flight supposed to
transport 300 Costa Ricans was
canceled by the agency.
The company said that the
provider they hired did not
comply with the contract.
"The responsibility is 100
percent mine for making the
decision to operate with
another company different from
the ones used at other times,"
said José Cortés, Destinos TV
CEO in a press release.
The company said that a few
days after signing the
contract for a plane to leave
Thursday and return the June
28, 2018, the provider changed
the rules, offering
alternatives of smaller planes
and higher costs.
"Nine days ago I started
receiving information that the
provider had problems with the
planes offered," he said.
Destinos TV sent the fans on
commercial flights. Some of
the tourists asked for their
money back.
The Ministry of Economy
announced an investigation on
that case.
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Should the
Ministry of Tourism also
open an investigation in
these two cases of an
apparent breach of travel
contract? We would like to
know your thoughts on this
story. Send your comments
to: news@amcostarica.com
*Link
to reach the place map.
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AMCostaRica©
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AMCostaRica©
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