Terms and Conditions

DMC Guatemala - Group Travel

Terms & Conditions

The following Booking Conditions together with the General Information contained on our websites, as well as any other marketing material regarding our Group Travel Experiences, such as proposals, flyers, advertisements, etc., form the basis of your agreement with DMC Guatemala. DMC Guatemala is a division of “Central America Tourism Partners S.A.” and our United States affiliate “Cerezo International Co.”, DMC Guatemala is a Destination Management Company specialized in organizing/coordinating travel & tourism services within the Guatemala Region.

In these Booking Conditions, “you” and “your” means all persons named on the booking (or anyone who is added or substituted later). “We”, “us” and “our” means DMC Guatemala, (a division of “Central America Tourism Partners, S.A” or “Cerezo International Co.”). If you book an Organized Trip with us, once your chosen trip has been confirmed we will accept responsibility for it in accordance with these Booking Conditions as an “organizer”. Please read the following conditions carefully as they set out our respective rights and obligations.

1. Making your booking
To make a booking, the party leader must be at least 18 years of age and must be authorized to make the booking based on these Booking Conditions by all persons named on the booking. The party leader confirms that he/she is so authorized and that all party members agree to be bound by these Booking Conditions. Guests can book online through our secure WeTravel platform, or they may book directly with one of our Agents.

The party leader is responsible for making all payments due to us. Once we have received your instructions to confirm your trip and all appropriate payments, and subject to availability, we will send you the following:

  • Acknowledgement that we have received your instruction to book.
  • A confirmation of your booking by email, along with your trip details & confirmations for review.
  • For applicable flight inclusive trips, we will send you a confirmation voucher by email, along with an electronic or scanned copy of your airline ticket (please note that most of our experiences do not include international flights from/to Guatemala)

The confirmation and all other documentation will be sent to the party leader. Please check this carefully as soon as you receive it. Contact us immediately if any information on the confirmation, acknowledgement or any other document appears to be incorrect or incomplete as it may not be possible to make changes later. We regret we cannot accept any liability if we are not notified of any inaccuracies in any document within 24 hours of you receiving it. Changes – if possible – may incur an admin fee. 

2. Payment
Each travel experience has its own individual pricing plans and payment terms.  Most of our trips will require an advanced payment at booking in order to secure your spot, such as a reservation deposit equal to a portion of the total price (or full amount), due on a certain date. We also offer payment plans, such as monthly installments (number of payments will vary depending on the total cost of the trip). In some cases, a customized payment plan can be tailored to the specific needs of individual travelers or an organization/agent making payment on behalf of group.  *Please refer to the booking site for specific payment details regarding the trip of your interest.

Payments can be processed through the following options:

  • Credit/Debit Card: We accept all major credit cards. Credit cards will be processed electronically through our secure online PayPal or WeTravel platforms.  Merchant name will appear as Cerezo International Co. (US affiliate) or DMC Guatemala in your bank statement. Note that a 3% to 5% processing fee may apply.
  • Cash: USD or Local currency accepted. Our rates are established in USD and any payment in local currency will be subject to our accepted exchange rate. Cash Payment in other foreign currencies will be subject to acceptance. Cash options are only available on site (Guatemala).
  • Others: We also accept direct bank deposits (USA or Guatemala), wire transfers, checks, etc. Payments in these forms may incur in administrative/bank fees. Should you prefer to make a direct bank deposit or wire transfer in USA or Guatemala we will send you our bank details. Our banking affiliate in USA is Bank of America.

3. The cost of your Trip
The prices shown on the websites, as well as any other marketing material for our Group Travel Experiences, are per person, set in USD, and include the services specified on said document, as well as all applicable hotel and government taxes. Prices and offers are in effect at the time of publishing and are subject to change without notice; and will be confirmed at the time of booking. We reserve the right to increase or decrease the prices at any time. We also reserve the right to make changes to and correct errors in advertised prices at any time before your trip is confirmed. Once the price of your chosen trip has been confirmed, then, subject to the correction of errors, we will only increase or decrease the price in the following circumstances: Price increases or decreases after booking will be passed on by way of a surcharge or refund. A surcharge or refund (as applicable) will be payable, subject to the conditions set out in this clause, if our costs increase or decrease because of transportation costs or dues, taxes or fees payable for services such as landing taxes or our costs increase or decrease because of any adverse or favorable changes in the exchange rates which have been used to calculate the cost of your trip.

We reserve the right to correct errors in both advertised and confirmed prices. We will do so as soon as we become aware of the error. Price changes and errors rarely occur, and every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the marketing platforms and prices. You must check the price of your chosen trip at the time of booking.

4. Changes by you
Our Group Travel Experiences have a set itinerary and dates, and changes to the latter program by participants is not available. Any potential changes to your trip such as early arrivals or later departures (outside of the established trip dates) must be notified in writing as soon as possible before the trip. If you wish to make any changes during your trip you must notify your trip manager or assistant immediately so we can review the request. Cost increases for the changes will be payable together with any costs incurred by us and any costs or charges incurred or imposed by any of our suppliers or any third party. Whilst we will endeavor to assist, we cannot guarantee we will be able to meet any such requests.

Extending your trip: Participants that wish to extend their stay (before or after the official trip dates) and require travel & tourism services with us must notify us in advance so we can arrange accordingly.

Please note: Changes for flight inclusive bookings, you must pay the charges levied by the airline concerned. As most airlines do not permit changes after tickets have been issued for any reason, these charges are likely to be the full cost of the flight or a portion of it.

5. Cancellation by you
Should you or any member of your party need to cancel your chosen trip once it has been confirmed, the party leader must immediately advise us in writing. Your notice of cancellation will only be effective when it is received in writing by us via email and acknowledged. If you notify us by email you should receive a reply within 48 hours; if you do not receive an immediate reply, please contact us again. Cancellations must be notified with a minimum of 48hrs prior to your trip.

For all bookings, where any cancellation reduces the number of full paying party members below the number on which the price, number of free places and/or any concessions agreed for your booking were based, we will recalculate these items and re-invoice you accordingly. If any member of your party is prevented from traveling, the person(s) concerned may be able to transfer their place to someone else (introduced by you) providing we are given reasonable notice before departure.

If someone from your party, or the entire party of your trip cancels (including you) or it is a “no show”, we may incur costs from the time we confirm your booking and therefore you may be subject to an administrative fee of a portion of the total cost of the trip, and in some cases a penalty of the entire cost of the trip. Below you will find the per person cancellation policy for our Group Travel Experiences:

  • Cancellations 30 or more days prior to trip start: When cancelling at least 30 days prior to your trip start a full refund will be provided minus 20% of the total reservation for administrative fees.
  • Cancellations within 16 to 29 days prior to trip start: When cancelling within 16 to 29 days of your trip date a 50% refund will be provided.
  • Cancellation within 15 days prior to trip start: No refund will be provided for cancellations made within 15 days or “no shows”.

*We reserve the right to charge any of these fees to the credit card provided or withhold these fees from any advanced payment or deposit.

6. Changes and cancellation by us
Occasionally, we must make changes and correct errors in travel proposals, marketing material, and other trip details both before and after bookings have been confirmed or cancel confirmed bookings. In addition, changes to your planned trip itinerary are possible during your travels. Every effort will be made to keep them as they are presented. Whilst we always endeavor to avoid changes and cancellations, we must reserve the right to do so.

Minor changes to your trip itinerary may include a specific service or activity that had to be modified or cancelled before your scheduled departure or during your trip. Some examples of minor changes or cancellations may include:

  • Highway to a specific destination is closed off and cannot be accessed
  • A specialized guide/representative had to cancel a specific activity/workshop and there was no immediate replacement
  • An attraction/site is closed
  • Ground transportation mal-function (during trip) created a delay and participants were not able to do a specific tour/attraction

In case a cancellation (or change) for a specific service included in your itinerary must be made before your trip start date, we will notify you immediately and offer you the choice of the following options:

(a) Accepting the changed arrangements or
(b) Cancelling with no penalty (or providing you with a full refund if you paid in advance) and purchasing an alternative trip from us, of a similar standard to that originally booked if available. If you paid in advance, and the chosen alternative is less expensive than your original one, we will refund the difference but if it is more expensive, we will ask you to pay the difference) or
(c) Cancelling or accepting the cancellation in which case you will assume no penalty or receive a full and quick refund of all monies you have paid to us (if a pre-payment or deposit had been made).

In case a cancellation (or change) of a specific service included in your itinerary must be made by the supplier or us during your trip, we will offer you the choice of the following:

(a) A refund or discount equal to the cost of the service cancelled during your trip. For instance, if a guided tour or workshop was cancelled, we will refund you the cost of this service (if you paid in advance) or provide you with pro-rated discount upon final payment.
Note that if a traveler chooses not to participate in an activity included in the trip, a refund or discount does NOT apply. However, refunds or discounts for specific circumstances such as these will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

In some cases, we are forced to make a significant change or cancel your trip prior to the start date because of unusual and unforeseeable circumstances beyond our control, the consequences of which we could not have avoided even with all due care. If this were to happen we would notify you immediately and offer you trip alternatives for your consideration (if possible). If any of these cases (significant change or cancellation by us for reasons beyond our control) you will incur in NO penalty or we will refund the entirety of your payment (if you paid in advance).

*Please note that published per person rates are based on a group rate, and therefore a minimum number of participants might be required for our Group Travel Experiences. If we are not able to sell the adequate number of seats, we may cancel the entire tour and refund all deposits and payments to participants that registered. Alternatively, we could increase the tour price based on the final number of participants and per groups´ acceptance continue with the tour as previously planned. DMC Guatemala encourages all participants to purchase airfare cancelation insurance if offered and to communicate with our team prior to purchasing airfare for your tour to ensure there are adequate number of guests attending. DMC Guatemala cannot be held responsible for fees or lost monies associated with airline and other travel agencies due to the cancellation of a tour.

Very rarely, we may be forced by “force majeure” (see clause 7) to change or terminate your trip after departure but before the scheduled end of the trip. This is extremely unlikely but if this situation does occur, we regret to inform you that we will be unable to make any refunds or discounts. However, each case will be reviewed, and we will consider a pro-rated refund or discount if possible.

7. Force Majeure, events beyond our control
Except where otherwise expressly stated in these booking conditions, we regret we cannot accept liability or pay any compensation / refund / discount where the performance or prompt performance of our contractual obligations is prevented or affected by or you otherwise suffer any damage or because of “force majeure“. In these Booking Conditions, “force majeure” means any event which we or the supplier of the service(s) in question could not, even with all due care, foresee or avoid. Such events may include war or threat of war, riot, civil strife, actual or threatened terrorist activity, industrial dispute, natural or nuclear disaster, adverse weather conditions, fire and all similar events outside our control.

8. Our Liability to you
We (Central America Tourism Partners S.A. dba DMC Guatemala) are a Destination Management Company and are responsible only for making the arrangements of the organized trips offered. We act only as an agent for the participants and as an operational facilitator for all matters connected with the trip (logistics, transportation, sightseeing tours, and other services included). The responsibility of us and/or its representatives and/or its agents is limited.

As a participant on one of DMC Guatemala’s organized trips you realize that inherent dangers exist. While in good health and able to fully participate in such activities, you realize that your participation may result in illness or injury due to accidents, the forces of nature or other causes unforeseen. On behalf of yourself, your family, or other personal representatives; you agree to release, hold harmless and indemnify DMC Guatemala, its agents, and officers from any and all claims or law suits for bodily injury, property damage, wrongful death, ‘force majeure’ (as stated in clause 7), loss of services, etc. which may result from your participation in our organized trips, regardless of whether or not these claims or suits arise from negligent acts, omissions by the DMC Guatemala organizers, leaders, or facilitators of the trip, employees or volunteers, another participant, any other person involved or from any other cause.

By accepting these terms and conditions, you hereby waive and release DMC Guatemala from any claim, demand, cause of action of any kind resulting from or related to your participation in the program. You agree to assume full responsibility for any risks, injuries or damage known or unknown, which might incur as a result of participating in the program. You knowingly, voluntarily and expressly waive any claim you may have for injuries or damages that you may sustain as a result of participating in the program.

We promise to ensure that the trip arrangements we have agreed to make, perform or provide as part of our agreement with you are made, performed or provided with reasonable skill and care. Please note that we cannot accept responsibility for any services that do not form part of our organized trip. This includes, for example, any additional services or facilities that any supplier agrees to provide for you where the services or facilities are not included in your trip, have not agreed to arrange them, or any external activity/side trip you purchase during your time on the trip.

9. Complaints and problems
In the unlikely event that you have any reason to complain or experience any problems with your trip whilst away, you must immediately inform our representative and the supplier of the service(s) in question. Any verbal notification must be put in writing and given to our representative and the supplier as soon as possible. Until we know about a problem or complaint, we cannot begin to resolve it. Most problems can be dealt with quickly. If you remain dissatisfied, however, you must write to us within a reasonable period upon your return home giving your booking reference and full details of your complaint.

10. Behavior
When you book a trip with us, you accept responsibility for any damage or loss caused by you or any member of your party. Full payment for any such damage or loss must be paid direct at the time to the establishments owner or manager or another supplier. If you fail to do so, you will be responsible for meeting any claims subsequently made against us (together with our own and the other party’s full legal costs) because of your actions. We expect all clients to have consideration for other people. If in our reasonable opinion or in the reasonable opinion of any other person in authority, you or any member of your party behaves in such a way as to cause or be likely to cause danger, upset or distress to any third party or damage to property, we are entitled, without prior notice, to terminate the trip of the person(s) concerned. In this situation, the person(s) concerned will be required to leave. We will have no further responsibility toward such person(s) including any return travel arrangements. No refunds will be made and we will not pay any expenses or costs incurred because of the termination.

11. Conditions of suppliers
Many of the services that make up your trip are provided by independent suppliers. Those suppliers provide these services in accordance with their own terms and conditions. Some of these terms and conditions may limit or exclude the supplier’s liability to you, Copies of the relevant parts of these terms and conditions are available on request from us or the supplier concerned.

12. Special requests and medical problems
If you have any special request, you must advise us at the time of booking. Although we will endeavor to pass any reasonable requests on to the relevant supplier, we regret we cannot guarantee any request will be met. Failure to meet any special request will not be a breach of contract on our part. Confirmation that a special request has been noted or passed on to the supplier or the inclusion of the special request on your confirmation invoice or any other documentation is not confirmation that the request will be met. Unless and until specifically confirmed, all special requests are subject to availability.

If you or any member of your party is pregnant or has any medical condition or disability which may affect your trip, please tell us before you confirm your booking so that we can advise as to the suitability of the chosen arrangements. In any event, you must give us full details in writing at the time of booking. If we reasonably feel unable to properly accommodate the needs of the person concerned, we must reserve the right to decline their reservation or, if full details are not given at the time of booking, cancel when we become aware of these details.

13. Travel Insurance
We consider adequate travel insurance to be essential. We highly recommend you acquire it in your country of residence. Domestic government medical insurance and private health schemes will not cover you in most overseas countries. It is your responsibility to ensure that the insurance cover you purchase is suitable and adequate for your needs. We also encourage all participants to purchase airfare cancelation insurance if offered (as stated in clause #6). *Note that some of our Group Travel Experiences already include a domestic travel insurance plan as part of the services. Please refer to the booking site and check to see if such service is already included.

If you agree with the above terms & conditions please continue with payment/booking.

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