Help Finally On The Way For Conquest Customers

As reported last week, tour operator Conquest Vacations went out of business forcing many would-be travelers to make alternate plans for their upcoming vacations. The biggest victims, however, were Conquest Vacations customers who were already on their trips.

Many travelers, such as those staying at the Oasis Resort in Cancun, Mexico were met with hostile threats from hotel staff insisting that they pay upwards of $1,000 in order to remain at the resort or risk being kicked out. While this turned many vacationers’ dream vacations into nightmares, The Travel Industry Council of Ontario insisted that it would assist travelers by wiring money to resorts in order to pay for their already booked rooms.

According to 680News.com, TICO was only able to send through the funds as of this morning since the banks were closed over the weekend. The report notes that travelers who already managed to pay the additional charges forced upon them can apply for reimbursement once they return home.

TICO president Michael Pepper believes that customers could have had their vacations gone uninterrupted had they received just a few days notice of Conquest’s collapse in order to notify the hotels of the money wiring.

Last week, Naeem Thaver, owner of Gala Travels in Scarborough, spoke to The Toronto Star and warned that TICO’s compensation fund would be taking a big hit “because of Conquest’s actions”. Gala Travels had been doing approximately $1 million worth of business with Conquest every year.