Coronavirus: positive stories from our tourism industry

We’re looking for the positive, good news stories that will lift our hearts and minds over the coming weeks and help us to stay positive.  If you have something you’d like to share with us, please email our Communications Director, Mhairi Clarke – mhairi.clarke@stalliance.co.uk and we’ll share and inspire others.

We received this today from STA Members, Mary’s Meanders.

“Here at Mary’s Meanders we are focusing on keeping our name out there and sharing & contributing regular insights from Scotland.

We have always prided ourselves on our high level of customer service and at a time like this we feel it is even more important. We have asked our guests to give us TripAdvisor reviews relating to their cancellation experience and these have been excellent. This benefits us in 3 ways –

• It gives future customers confidence in booking with us
• It gives us a well needed boost
• It helps us to maintain our 5 star rating when we are not out touring

This is something that any other tourism or hospitality company can do.

From TripAdvisor

The best when the unforeseen happened

We didn’t get to go on the Outlander tour due to COVID-19, travel advisories and restrictions. We had already paid for our tour (and i should note that they made special arrangements to accommodate us on a different date from what their schedule had, so they were already awesome). Emma responded to our cancellation inquiry within minutes (with sympathy and understanding, I might add) and refunded our payment on the spot. I will definitely use them again–kindness, integrity, and efficiency–everything one wants in a touring company, especially when things go awry.

Hope this is of some use to others in the industry and helps to give them a little lift.”