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Central Pa. travel agents discuss Hurricane Ian's impacts on the travel industry

Thousands of people are having vacation plans canceled or delayed as Hurricane Ian makes its way through Florida.

YORK, Pa. — Gary Goldstein with Pan World Travel has dealt with his fair share of hurricanes in his 40 years as a travel agent. He says Hurricane Ian has forced one of his clients to cut their vacation short.

“They were celebrating a birthday on beautiful Marco Island, and they evacuated on Tuesday and went to Fort Myers," said Goldstein, "The last two nights, they had no power and some problems. Today they left to go to West Palm Beach to fly home.”

The story of Goldstein’s clients is playing out across the travel industry, as thousands of people are having their vacations to Florida delayed or canceled.

Sophie Fellner with Fernweh Travel Experiences says airlines, hotels, and resorts will work to help people get refunds for their lost trips.

“So airlines would cancel your flight and give a full refund to the payment made," said Fellner. "The clients who are already in their destination like Disney or Universal, they could fly out before the airports close down and get a full refund as well.”

While airlines and hotels might work to cover the costs, Doni Lee Spiegel with AAA Central Pennsylvania says travelers' insurance will provide people additional coverage for canceled vacations.

“This is a situation where travelers insurance really comes in handy," said Spiegel. "It only costs a few extra bucks, but it covers for situations like this and it can help prevent a headache down the road.”

Spiegel encourages local travelers affected by Hurricane Ian to reach out to their travel agents to help recoup as much money as possible.

“Most of our travel partners are happy to help accommodate folks in a situation like this.”

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