29 April 2010 - Press Office - The Gambia Experience
Leading tour operator, The Gambia Experience has created a Testimonials page for its website - http://www.gambia.co.uk/IcelandVolcano - following the volume of positive client feedback it has received for its handling of the volcanic air plume disruptions.
In terms of its package holiday customers, the award-winning specialist was able to act efficiently, courtesy of an experienced resort team located in The Gambia. At the height of the chaos, holidaymakers remained in the hotels that they had originally booked on a minimum of half-board. On Tuesday 20 April, all customers, bar those booked in Luxury Collection properties, were moved to the 4* Kombo Beach Hotel on full-board (an upgrade for the majority). Having affected clientele in the one property enabled The Gambia Experience to communicate more effectively, as well as be better poised for swift airport transfers.
Those holidaymakers in The Gambia who were due to return 16 or 20 April were able to fly back to London Gatwick as soon as the ban was lifted on Thursday 22 April, thanks to The Gambia Experience having two empty Monarch aircraft ready in Banjul to bring them home. The Gambia Experience Friday and Tuesday London Gatwick – Banjul routes resumed normal service on Friday 23 April. The Gambia Experience customers due to return to Birmingham or Manchester on Thomas Cook flights were similarly taken care of - The Gambia Experience offering flight seats back to London Gatwick on Friday 23 April, before facilitating coach transport onwards to Birmingham and Manchester Airports.
In addition to praise from its customers, The Gambia Experience has also received thanks from Travel Agents, as The Gambia Experience – part of Serenity Holidays Ltd – has an active relationship with the Trade. National media on press trips also took the opportunity to post extra stories online - The Daily Telegraph, travelling with The Gambia Experience, favourably coining its article: ‘Iceland Volcano: Stranded in Paradise’.
The Gambia Experience managing director, Chris Rowles comments:
“The Gambia Experience has been operating for over twenty years and has a genuine duty of care towards its customers, many of whom are repeat-bookers. We - like many other specialist, independent operators at this time - hope to have demonstrated how the repatriation of our holidaymakers was of top priority.”
The Gambia Experience is a trade name of Serenity Holidays Ltd, a fully bonded operator under ATOL 1866 and a member of ABTA, IATA and AITO.
* One of the many quotes from The Gambia Experience clients. See Testimonials page for more.
