A reader named Dmitry wrote to the editorial office to tell about a failed vacation. The young man was planning to rest with his family in Tunisia. He had already fully paid for the tour, arranged leave at work, but suddenly he was told that the departure was being canceled. Dmitry insists: nobody apologized for the ruined holiday before travelers, they didn't explain the reasons, so now it's unclear what to do with the plans. We tried to figure out how this happened.

Several months ago, Dmitry and his wife decided to plan a vacation. They were going

— Yes, due to the need to optimize the flight schedule, the Minsk — Enfidha (Tunisia) flights scheduled for September 25 and October 5 will not take place.

On September 25, only the return flight from Enfidha to Minsk will be operated, to bring back tourists finishing their holiday.

• What are the future prospects for this route?

— We are reviewing the operational parameters for this route and plan to resume the program in the next tourist season, which we will inform our partners and clients in advance.

• Will the money paid for the tour be refunded to the tourists in full?

— Yes, absolutely. All financial obligations to refund the money paid to customers will be fulfilled in full in accordance with the legislation of the Republic of Belarus.

• What options does the operator offer to tourists who have already scheduled their vacation for those dates?

— We understand how difficult it is to rearrange agreed vacation plans, and that customers and tourists plan their holidays in advance and coordinate dates with their work schedules. ODO “Intercity” has decided to shoulder part of the resulting financial costs.

In this regard, as an alternative, the tour operator offered a replacement destination for the trip, taking into account suitable departure dates under special conditions.

We work with each contacting tourist individually to find the most convenient solution, also considering options for travel dates within the already approved vacation period.

Dmitry confirmed to the journalist that the money for the tour—$5.5 thousand for four people for 11 nights—was fully refunded by the tour company shortly after the flights were cancelled. However, the family remains confused about what to do with their planned vacation:

— We considered Egypt and Vietnam but couldn't find anything. What we like about Egypt is that the price is attractive, but in Vietnam it's not

However, the fact that the tour operator breached its obligations was indeed present, the consumer’s rights were violated, and therefore, in accordance with Article 18 of the Consumer Rights Protection Law, the consumer has the right to demand compensation for moral damages from the perpetrator if the perpetrator is at fault.

The exact amount of moral damages is determined by the court depending on the nature of the physical and moral suffering inflicted on the consumer, as well as the degree of fault of the perpetrator in cases where the perpetrator’s fault is the basis for compensation. When determining the amount of compensation for moral damages, the requirements of reasonableness and fairness must be taken into account.