The health pass was not enough to save the tourist season in Martinique. "
The situation is extremely serious,
" Overseas Minister Sébastien Lecornu told AFP before leaving for the West Indies where he is expected Tuesday evening in Guadeloupe. He will travel to Martinique on Thursday where he will be joined by the Minister of Health Olivier Véran. And in the face of the outbreak of the epidemic, strict containment is back on the island. The prefect Stanislas Cazelles announced this Monday, August 10 for three additional weeks, starting this Tuesday at 7 p.m. (local time).
“I invite all the people who are here for tourism, who are vulnerable, to leave the territory given the health situation in Martinique. The hotels will be closed ”
except for professional needs or for the inhabitants of the French island.
The same goes for seasonal rentals, places of leisure and cultural places.
The beaches will also no longer be accessible to the public.
After Martinique, Guadeloupe could also be subject to stricter re-containment.
Read also: Travel to Martinique: "We are counting on the health pass"
I'm in Martinique, how can I get back to France quickly?
Since mid-July, only vaccinated people can enter the island without a compelling reason and containment measures had already been in place for two weeks. Few tourists were therefore still there. But for those who had decided to maintain their stay, they will have to return to France. Do not panic, the prefect having indicated on Twitter that the return
"could take place over several days, without a binding date"
.
"Travel from or to the airport is permitted during curfew hours
,
" he
adds.
Hotels must close their doors, but accommodation providers should not kick their customers out.
At
Pierre & Vacances
for example, the two establishments on the island are closing, but the group assures us that customers will be able to stay in their accommodation until they find a flight back to France.
They will be offered a reimbursement in proportion to their occupancy in the accommodation.
For flights, vacationers can change their ticket to choose an earlier return flight.
Again, most airlines are flexible.
At
Air Caraïbes
, the modification can be made free of charge before the initial departure date.
"
The announcement of confinement did not trigger massive requests for early return
,"
Marc Rochet, vice-president of Air Caraïbes
, told
Figaro
.
In the event of a sudden wave of requests, we are able to charter additional flights.
The company provides up to three round trips each day between Paris and Pointe-à-Pitre.
On the
Air France side
, there are normally one to two flights each day and ten with stopovers.
"
For this day of August 10, two flights leave Fort-de-France and three flights are scheduled for tomorrow August 11,
" says the company.
It should be remembered that the modification of the date and / or the destination of the ticket is possible regardless of the pricing conditions, until the day of departure of the first flight.
Unfortunately, if the price of the new ticket is higher, you have to pay the difference.
I have a planned stay in Martinique, can I get it reimbursed?
The first thing is to examine the cancellation conditions listed in your contract.
Then, the conditions differ depending on whether the reservation concerns accommodation, a dry flight or a package holiday (flight + accommodation).
Read also: Summer holidays and Covid: in which cases can we claim a refund?
ACCOMMODATION
For the reservation of accommodation only, reimbursement is not guaranteed.
Each hotelier or booking platform decides on its own cancellation conditions.
In fact, some professionals offer advantageous conditions for clients.
Pierre & Vacances
, for example, offers a full refund for stays booked in Martinique before the announcement of strict confinement.
Customers can also opt for a voucher valid for 24 months with a 15% top-up.
DRY FLIGHT
For the reservation of a simple plane ticket, there too the reimbursement is not certain.
As long as the flight is maintained, the company is not obligated to reimburse customers.
The conditions of sale and any travel insurance may cover epidemics, but this is not mandatory.
If the flight is canceled, however, the company is required to reimburse its customers.
But reimbursement is still possible with some companies.
If the fare conditions of your ticket do not provide for automatic reimbursement,
Air Caraïbes
and
Air France
offer their customers a credit
note
valid for one year.
And customers can request the cash refund of the credit amount after receiving it.
Please note, at Air Caraïbes, the reimbursement request must be made no later than 7 days before the date of departure of the initial flight.
PACKAGE TRAVEL
For the reservation of a package trip, such as flight and accommodation, reimbursement is more likely. In this case, the service provider must reimburse his client if he proves that his stay is made impossible due to "exceptional and unavoidable circumstances". In France, article L211-14 of the Tourism Code thus provides that: “The traveler has the right to terminate the contract before the start of the trip or stay without paying any resolution costs if exceptional and unavoidable circumstances arise in the place of destination or in the immediate vicinity thereof, have significant consequences on the performance of the contract or on the transport of passengers to the place of destination. In this case, the traveler is entitled to full reimbursement of payments made but not to additional compensation. "
Note that if the exceptional and unavoidable circumstances are recognized, the service provider can offer a credit but cannot impose it. The traveler can therefore demand a monetary refund.