Visas/Tours Don't Get Done in the Sun

Every year, millions of us splash out on holidays abroad.

But most of us have to save all year for our precious two weeks in the sun.

So when things go wrong, it can be devastating.

You can't do that sort of holiday, you know, every year.

It's precious time. We can't get that back.

Flight delays and shabby accommodation

can ruin your break.

Not to mention scams, tricks and cons.

The guys doing the PR work on the beach

have just told loads of people loads of lies.

We're here to help you avoid the holiday from hell.

And make sure you don't get done in the sun.

Coming up on today's show, we meet holidaymakers

who were left with their dream breaks in tatters because

their travel agents left a piece of vital information to the small print.

He said, "There isn't anything we can do. You'll have to come home."

And I'll be hitting the streets to see if we really do leave our brains

at the airport when it comes to spending our holiday cash.

Can I interest you in going to see some dolphins?

Those last-minute worries before you go on holiday,

we all have them, don't we?

Passport? Check.

Money? Check.

Tickets? Check.

But if you're heading somewhere a little more far flung than the Costa del Sol,

there's something else you might need to add to that checklist.

And it's something so important that, if it's forgotten,

you'll be back at home sooner than you'd think.

It's a visa.

Many countries outside the EU require you to obtain a visa.

This is a document granted for a short visit to a country

and a way of them monitoring your arrival and departure dates.

But, when planning a dream getaway,

paperwork is often the last thing on your mind.

And, surely, your travel agent would let you know if you needed one.

We'd seen The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

and Slumdog Millionaire and thought they were so hilarious.

And we just really, really fancied it, didn't we,...

-We did, yeah.

-..from those films?

-Yeah.

Meet Linda and Kevin from South Wales.

They'd saved up and had big plans

to visit South Goa in India in a year's time.

They went down to their local high street to find a travel agent and walked into First Choice

to discuss their dream trip abroad.

She said, "Are you happy with all that?" And we said, "Very happy."

-And we looked at each other and said, "I'm really happy, are you?"

-Yeah.

-And we just signed it there and then.

-Yeah.

Linda put it in her handbag and, er, off we went.

Good on them for planning ahead.

This meant they got the best available deal.

And with everything booked and still a year to go before they jetted off,

the couple thought there was nothing left to do but sit back,

relax and look forward to their trip.

We brought the contract home and I actually looked at it

because I was excited, I wanted to know the time and everything.

Other than that, it was put safe, and that was it.

The year flew by. And in March 2011, it was finally time

to make the journey from Merthyr Tydfil to Gatwick.

We arrived there, I believe, about 2:15.

And we got to the counter and, er,

the lady behind the desk said, "Where's your visas?"

And I looked at Kevin and I said, "Visa?"

I said, "Visas? We haven't got any visas."

And she said, "Well, you can't fly without visas to Goa."

Linda and Kevin couldn't believe their ears.

It was like a bubble bursting. It was absolutely horrendous. Terrible.

Their dreams of Goa were vanishing before their eyes.

Having never been anywhere like this before,

and not knowing they needed a visa, they were completely floored.

They got straight on the phone to their local travel agent.

"Oh," she said, "did you not know you had to have visas?"

I said, "No." She said, "Did you read your contract?" I said,

I was really agitated, and I said,

"It doesn't matter about the contract," I said.

"I want to know why we wasn't told about visas."

"Unfortunately," she said, "there isn't anything we can do.

"You'll have to come home."

The couple had no choice but to retrace their steps

and head back to Wales, while the flight to Goa departed without them.

In the days that followed, they complained

to the travel agents, maintaining it was never explained to them that they needed a visa.

But First Choice simply replied

that it was clearly printed on their booking form.

The thing is, visas aren't necessarily the first thing people think of when they're going abroad,

especially if they're travelling long haul for the first time.

So, how do you know if you need a visa and who's supposed to tell you?

Many travel agents are members of an organisation called ABTA,

which offers customers protection if something goes wrong.

Who is responsible for the arrangement of visas?

If you book a package holiday, there is a requirement under the Package Travel Regulations

which states that a package tour operator must make you aware

of the need to get a visa in many circumstances.

But, primarily, the responsibility for actually getting that visa

would be you as a member of the public.

Do you, as ABTA, advise your members to tell people verbally?

Or do you not mind how they do it?

We have a requirement in our code that members should make people aware, members of the public,

that they do require a visa but we don't say they have to tell them verbally. I think many will do so.

But Linda and Kevin maintain that something as important as a visa

shouldn't have been buried in the small print.

We hadn't been told verbally.

But their position was that we had been told

because we had had it in black and white.

And I think the two are totally different.

I agree. After all, their whole holiday depended on this knowledge and they'd no idea.

Is it really too much to expect from a travel agent?

Any travel agent worth her or his salt is going to say,

"Oh, you're off to India. That's great.

"But bear in mind it's actually quite

"a complex application process for the visa

"and you'd better start now."

But although the visa requirement was printed in their booking conditions,

Linda and Kevin weren't told by the agent in person.

And that meant their dream holiday was a non-starter.

ABTA states all its members must make it very clear

when a destination needs a visa.

But how hard do they actually try?

OK, so here I've got a big stack of glossy-looking holiday brochures.

I'm going to use this to look at the most popular holiday-booking websites.

What I want to know is, how obvious do the brochures

and the booking websites make it that you need a visa before you go?

I'm going to start with this pile.

The brochures I've got are from the five biggest tour operators.

And I'm looking at long-haul destinations

which have very different visa requirements.

"If a visa is required, don't leave until the last minute."

"Passport and visa regulations can change."

There's a link here to see visa and travel advice. There's nothing here.

"Requirements should be checked with the relevant embassy."

"Your responsibility."

"Visit the Foreign Office website."

"Go to the Foreign & Commonwealth Office."

"Contact the Egyptian consulate."

Slightly vague.

No.

So if you're not a seasoned traveller,

or you just haven't been somewhere that needs a visa before,

there's really not a lot here to make it obvious that you need one.

Of course, these are just brochures, and the most important thing

is that travellers are told about the need for a visa at the point of sale.

Without clear advice like this,

more people could end up like Kevin and Linda.

Are you content, though, that the ABTA advice at the moment is enough?

That you shouldn't be changing it to say, "You must tell people verbally

-"they need a visa"?

-Our code of conduct has been in place for many years.

We will revise it if we feel that that revision is required.

But if you look at the situation in terms of visas,

we very rarely get complaints where people

feel they haven't been informed sufficiently

about the need to get a visa and have suffered as a consequence.

But it is very important, though, that when you

make your booking, read the small print in the paperwork you're given.

It seems ABTA travel agents are not going to be held responsible.

The bottom line is, it's our responsibility to find out if we need a visa and get one arranged.

But don't relax just yet. Later, we'll see that, even with a visa,

there are still things that can go wrong.

We were absolutely devastated.

Um...

And just so upset.

When we jet off to an exotic holiday destination,

it often seems the perfect opportunity for a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

And sometimes there's more than sun, sea and sand on offer.

-Diving trips.

-Jeep rides.

-Good nightlife.

-Dolphin trips.

-Aqua tour.

-Water park.

-Nice places to eat.

-You name it, you can find it.

Yes, there are always plenty of trips and activities to tempt you when you're on holiday.

But there are also plenty of con men and tricksters

hoping to part you from your cash.

In fact, last year, tricks and scams cost the British holidaymaker around

£80 million.

I've researched the top-five most common tourist scams.

And today, I'll be finding out how easy it is

to get sold down the river on excursions that don't actually exist.

Before I see how wise holidaymaking Brits are

to a street seller like myself, I need some insider knowledge.

I'm on the beautiful island of Tenerife,

where one of the main attractions is the incredible seascapes.

A daytrip on a boat is definitely on most holidaymakers' wish lists. And it's certainly on mine.

-Hi, Paul.

-Hi. Good morning. How are you?

-Can I come aboard?

-Welcome aboard.

-Thank you.

My captain today is Paul Hilldrith

who runs whale and dolphin tours on the island.

Wooh!

Oh, my goodness!

Oh! There's another one there. There's another one.

We never guarantee 100% that you can see them

because they're wild animals. They're living out here, they go where they want to go.

And we have to use the skills of the captains to find them.

Yes, never take a trip if someone says

they can 100% promise you'll see wildlife.

The clue's in the name. It's wild life.

But not seeing a dolphin is by no means

the worst thing that can happen to you.

How do you know you're booking a real excursion? What do you look out for?

What you need to do is book through an obvious excursion shop,

which there are lots around on the island.

We work a lot with the hotel concierge in all the good hotels.

Those people are well trained, they know exactly who the good companies are.

The new way now is obviously through the internet,

direct with the owners of a lot of the boats or the businesses.

But sometimes you're walking along the beach and

there's so much competition, or it's a last-minute thing,

and there's people giving you, you know,

some cheap tickets. Are they to be trusted?

Sometimes there are robberies and people can get books of tickets.

Oh, OK.

You could be buying fresh air. Go to the official agents.

So in a situation like that, the tickets would look real because they are real.

-Yes, of course.

-In effect, but they're not for that trip you're planning on buying for.

Yeah. It could be any excursion, not just boat trips.

Just be aware. Go to the correct place, just like you would in your own country.

-It's a very good tip. Sometimes, when you're on holiday...

-You forget.

Oh, they're so lovely.

After a lovely afternoon dolphin watching, it's time to return to dry land.

-Thanks, Paul.

-Brought you back safely.

-Thank you.

-And thank you for a great experience.

-Pleasure. Come and see us again.

-I will do. Take care. Bye-bye.

-Bye-bye.

But in every holiday hotspot around the globe,

there's always someone out to make a fast buck.

No matter how savvy you think you are, there is always a fast-talking scammer

who will make it their business to get their hands on your cash.

Later on, I plan to find out just how they do it.

When it's cold and gray in the UK, many of us dream of jetting off

to an exotic location on the other side of the world.

But if you're travelling to any far-flung destination,

the chances are you will need one of these. A visa.

And as we've seen, your travel agent's under no obligation

to tell you verbally that you need one.

And you may well find the information

hidden deep in the small print of your contract.

But it's our responsibility as travellers to make sure

we have all the right documentation in place before we travel.

And if you do that, you'll be fine, won't you?

Meet Carol and John O'Reilly from Hemel Hempstead.

They're seasoned globetrotters.

-We do enjoy travelling quite a lot.

-Yes.

-As much as possible.

-Make the most of our years while we're able to travel.

-That's right.

Mainly the Far East and the Caribbean.

You name it, we'll go there.

Having fallen in love with the Indian state of Goa on previous trips,

Carol and John were keen to visit the rest of the country.

And they turned to a tried and trusted agent.

It's such a fascinating country

from the programmes and things you see.

So we looked around at different companies.

And the Travelsphere brochure,

well, we just thought this has got everything we're looking for, really.

The itinerary was great and it included Nepal,

which was somewhere we wanted to actually visit as well.

The trip would cost over £4,000.

And this well-travelled couple knew they'd need to arrange

a visa to visit India, which they did in plenty of time.

The day of our trip to India, we were already to go, excited.

We got to the check-in desk and we were told

that we could not travel with them because we had not

got the correct Indian visa, that there was a new rule implemented,

and that we needed a special stamp on top of the visa that we had.

But surely they'd done everything right.

Can visa rules really change as quickly as this?

What could be more maddening than booking your trip,

fulfilling all the visa rules,

and then the rules change?

This is a terrible situation, which has caused an awful lot of grief

and expense to a lot of travellers.

I'm afraid, I do have to say that India does tend

to change its rules more often than most countries.

Of course, if you've got a good travel agent who is monitoring

the situation at all times, keeping an eye on the world,

then they will do that work for you.

Carol and John were confident that they had a good agent.

And at the airport, Travelsphere's tour manager told them he had a solution.

So he said, "The next morning,

"you go straight up to the embassy and ask them to do the stamp for you

"and we'll get you on a flight that evening."

As instructed, Carol and John were up bright and early,

with their luggage still in the boot of the car,

ready to fly as soon as they had that all-important stamp.

We travelled to the Indian embassy at 6 o'clock the next morning.

And we were kept waiting two or three hours.

And then, when we finally got to speak to an official,

she said it was not possible to issue this stamp on the day,

that we were misinformed,

that it was three to four working days at their discretion.

Due to recent security alerts, India had changed its rules.

Carol and John weren't flying anywhere.

If the visa requirements change between you booking the holiday

and actually going on the holiday,

whose responsibility is it to make sure that the traveller is aware?

I could sort of see that you could draw up a contract saying,

"OK, travel agent, I've booked this holiday and it's your responsibility

"to inform me of any changes that could be relevant."

I don't know a single travel agent who would sign that contract

because, ultimately, their eyes can't be everywhere.

And you do, as a traveller, have to take a certain amount of responsibility for yourself.

Carol and John's magical trip to India

should have been well underway by now.

Having been given false hope by the tour manager...

We were absolutely devastated.

Um...

And just so upset.

Carol phoned Travelsphere to see what more they could do.

But all they were offered was the chance to fly out to Nepal

for the final three days of their trip for an additional charge

of £540.

They said there was nothing else they could do for us,

that we'd lose the holiday.

-Which we did.

-Which we did.

How could things have gone so wrong?

Why hadn't Carol and John known about the change in visa requirements?

When they got home, the couple started digging.

There was absolutely nothing on their website about this new rule

that had, literally, come out

in February, which was about a month before the travel time.

All it said was that you needed a multi-entry visa.

Absolutely nothing else was mentioned.

From my research, I've found that India is not alone in changing its visa rules.

So what travellers need is a resource that's bang up to date

with the immigration demands of every country.

With thousands of consular staff in 183 countries worldwide,

it's the job of the Foreign & Commonwealth Office to do just that.

It's absolutely essential that you research whether a visa is necessary

because it is for some countries and it isn't for others.

And we recommend you do that through the Foreign & Commonwealth Office travel website.

It's also important that you discuss with the country's embassy

here in the UK about the requirements of visas

because they do change reasonably frequently.

And make sure that you have an up-to-date visa that will allow you

both access to that country and the facility to leave when you choose to do so.

But if visa requirements can change at anytime,

are we really expected to check the Foreign Office website every day?

ABTA won't accept that its agents need to tell people in person.

Things can change very quickly. Some countries are better about informing the Foreign Office,

not necessarily telling travel companies.

So the information doesn't always get through straightaway.

But it will be there on the Foreign Office websites.

In effect, the bottom line does stop with you as a member of the public.

So, as far as ABTA's concerned, it's not up to your travel agent

to keep you informed about rule changes.

So whether you're booking online or you're using a good old-fashioned travel agent,

when it comes to visas, the rules are the same.

Do your homework because, if you don't,

you might be on a road to nowhere.

Still to come, our two couples hear from their travel agents.

Will they accept responsibility for their holiday disasters?

"So we do hope you'll become a Travelsphere customer again."

Hmmm. Maybe.

Holidays can leave some of us spoilt for choice.

There are so many trips and activities available,

it's hard not to say yes to everything.

But scam artists operating abroad means you have to have your wits about you.

And I'm here to tell you what you need to know to avoid

falling foul of the holiday-tour tricksters.

Earlier, I found out that the safest way to buy tickets

was through your hotel or a proper excursion shop.

Great advice. But, unfortunately,

plenty of people buy tickets on the street.

And as I'm about to show you, anyone can pose as a seller.

I am now transformed. I now am Rani Price

who works for Canary Fish Tours.

I need tickets to sell. OK. Tickets.

Everything you need on them.

The name of the excursion. What we're going to see.

Whale and dolphins. The date. The time. The price.

Adults, kids go free. Also, I've got my book full of facts and receipts.

So time for me to hit the streets.

I'm trying to see if anyone suspects for a second

that my tour is actually completely made up.

-Have you managed to see any dolphins?

-We've already seen them.

-Ooh!

-Can I interest you in going to see some dolphins?

-No.

I may be the only seller on this patch

but real street sellers can be far more persuasive.

Try not to get too caught up with the street vendors.

Try to ignore them. Don't get drawn into buying lots of junk.

Yes, never feel pressured to part with your cash.

But although some street sellers are peddling genuine wares

that will make a good souvenir, some, like me,

aren't quite so honest and will be trying to sell tickets for trips

that simply don't exist.

Have you managed to see some whales or dolphins on your trip to Tenerife?

-We haven't.

-You haven't? 'Hooked one!'

We're doing a deal at the moment

for 10 euros per ticket.

Now, it's normally around 35 euros a ticket. What we're saying is, bring your own packed lunch.

-10 euros. 10 euros. A little dolphin. Oh, a bottlenose.

-Yeah, I know.

-Thanks very much for trying.

-Yeah, we'll see.

-Thanks very much.

They definitely thought I was selling genuine tickets.

Time to 'fess up.

I'm going to have to stop you again.

We're actually from a BBC One show.

They're not real tickets.

SHE LAUGHS

-But you didn't question it.

-We didn't.

-Didn't even think.

The idea is, a lot of people do get scammed.

They come along and they'll just go, "It's a bargain, 10 euros."

And they turn up and the boat doesn't exist.

While they believed I was selling real tickets,

they didn't want to be committed to a day. Good for them.

But real con artists will lean much harder on you

to get their mitts on your money.

The guys doing the PR work on the beach

have just told loads of people loads of lies.

We're doing a special offer at the moment. It's 10 euros per ticket. They're not normally that cheap.

Kids go free. We say to take a packed lunch. There is water on board,

drinking water, but that's all we provide.

There. I've got my ticket. I've got Tuesday and I've got Wednesday.

Well, I'm giving it a good go but this savvy British couple

showed exactly the right attitude to buying on the spur of the moment.

-We'll have a think about it.

-Oh, my goodness!

Time to send in our speedy researcher Lydia

to grab them and tell them what we're really up to.

Excuse me. We're filming for a BBC One programme

-called Don't Get Done In The Sun.

-We're from England.

-They're fake tickets. They're not real.

-Have you thought about it?

-We thought about it.

-And?

-No.

-Even if it's a really good bargain, shouldn't you just jump in and get it?

-No.

If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is.

High-five, there.

SHE LAUGHS

OK, so I didn't manage to sell any tickets.

But I think I managed to convince a few people I was the real deal.

And that was with me dodgy lanyard

and a few tickets I printed off the internet.

If it was that easy for me, imagine how easy it is for the scammers.

Travelling to some faraway destinations means organising a visa.

And as we've already seen,

if you haven't got the right travel documents in place,

you won't be going anywhere.

Here are your travel essentials.

Never rely on your travel agent to sort this out for you.

If you're not sure, ask. Although they're obliged to let you know

if you're travelling somewhere that requires a visa,

sometimes this information is buried in the small print.

A good travel agent should tell you this verbally as well,

but you can't rely on it, so it's vital to be proactive and find out for yourself.

Visas can be applied for online

or at the embassy of the country you're visiting.

Sometimes you just need to fill in a document upon landing.

But, again, don't rely on this.

Always check before you travel.

Always allow a lot of time.

Applications can be fast-tracked.

But sometimes the checks can be rigorous and you might have to attend an interview.

Processing can take a few days to a few weeks,

depending on the country and the time of year. So don't delay.

Visas can cost anything from a few dollars to sometimes,

like for Russia, over £100.

And don't forget the extra expense of new photographs

and sending your documents by recorded post.

Some visas will only last for the duration of your trip, a few days

or weeks. But some can be issued for multiple entry over several years.

As usual, don't assume anything.

It's vital to double check each time you book a new trip.

One year on from their disappointment,

and Linda and Kevin are still

coming to terms with losing their once-in-a-lifetime holiday to Goa

because they didn't know they needed a visa.

We put Linda and Kevin's case to First Choice and they said,

Bad news. Even though they weren't told verbally,

the visa requirements for Goa were stated in their travel documents.

So, although it may seem unfair,

First Choice is within its rights to refuse to help.

But could there be a better outcome for Carol and John?

We put their case to their travel agent Travelsphere.

"Dear Mr and Mrs O'Reilly, On behalf of Travelsphere,

"may I personally apologise for your disappointment at the problems

"you encountered three years ago.

"Today Travelsphere operates under different management

"and we now do things differently.

"So we do hope you'll become a Travelsphere customer again..."

Hmmm. Maybe.

"..and enjoy a holiday to India with us.

"To this end, we would like to offer you an opportunity

"to enjoy a 14-day tour to India and Nepal..."

-Mmm.

-"..which takes in Delhi, Jaipur, Agra...Khajuraho

-"and Kathmandu."

-Fabulous. Absolutely fabulous.

Wow! I can't believe it.

The company is, as a goodwill gesture, offering the couple

the chance to take their holiday after all.

That completely restores our faith in them.

SHE LAUGHS

Wow!

-We're going to India.

-Excellent. Excellent. Excellent.

What a great result for Carol and John.

And, better still, this time,

all their visas will be taken care of by Travelsphere.

Join us next time for more Don't Get Done In The Sun.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd