How to Choose the Right Cancellation Policy on Manawa (and Avoid Unpleasant Surprises)

Why choosing the right cancellation policy is essential

Every last-minute cancellation can result in a significant loss of income. As an outdoor activity professional, your schedule and logistics are crucial to ensuring your trips are profitable. Manawa allows you to set a cancellation policy for each activity, so you can:

• Better manage unexpected events
• Reassure your customers and increase your conversion rate
• Protect your revenue

By choosing the right cancellation policy for your outdoor activities on Manawa, you not only improve your financial security but also make your offer more attractive to potential clients.

The 5 cancellation policies available on Manawa

On Manawa, you can choose from five cancellation policy levels. Each one can be selected per activity, depending on how much planning is required and the level of financial protection you need:

• Super Flexible: Customers can cancel up to 24 hours before the activity and receive a full refund. This policy is ideal for simple activities with low upfront costs or those that attract mostly local customers.
• Flexible: Customers receive a full refund if they cancel up to 4 days in advance. For cancellations made between 48 and 96 hours before the activity, they receive a 50% refund. This policy strikes a good balance between flexibility and planning.
• Moderate: A full refund is available up to 10 days before the activity. Between 4 and 10 days prior, customers get a 50% refund. Best suited for activities requiring some preparation or equipment.
• Strict: Suitable for activities that require significant planning. Customers can cancel up to 30 days in advance for a full refund. Between 10 and 30 days, they receive a 50% refund.
• Super Strict: Designed for long training courses or adventure trips, this policy offers a full refund up to 90 days before the activity. Between 60 and 90 days, customers get 75%, and between 30 and 60 days, 50%.

These options allow you to tailor your cancellation terms to your business model and your audience’s expectations.

How to choose the right policy

Adjust your policy based on:

• The cost of the activity
• The amount of preparation required
• The profile of your customers: last-minute locals or long-term planners?
• Your logistics and operational constraints

You can assign a different cancellation policy to each activity listed on Manawa. In fact, it’s often recommended!

Real-life example: a diving school

Here’s how a diving school might apply different cancellation policies:

• Snorkelling / Fun dives: Super Flexible, minimal setup, local or last-minute bookings.
• Introductory dives: Flexible, low to moderate costs but requires instructor time.
• Open Water / Level 1 training: Moderate, requires planning, equipment and supervision.
• Advanced training / certifications: Strict or Super Strict, high commitment and operational costs.

Adapting your policies to each offer allows you to maximise bookings while reducing risk.

Protecting your income from last-minute cancellations

• No-show? You get paid according to your chosen cancellation policy.
• Customer cancellation? Refunds are processed automatically according to the selected policy.
• Bad weather? No fees for you, and the customer is refunded in full (Manawa's Weather Guarantee applies).

Unlike other booking website, Manawa, as an outdoor specialist, does not charge you any fee if you cancel due to weather or technical issues.

Managing cancellations and booking changes

Manawa supports you at every step of the booking process. Here’s how cancellations and changes are handled depending on the situation.

Customer cancellations

When customers book, they are clearly informed of your cancellation terms, which helps avoid misunderstandings.

However, you remain in control: if a special situation arises (medical emergency, logistical issue, etc.), you can decide to grant a refund outside of the set conditions if you believe it’s appropriate.

Cancellations by the professional

You can cancel an activity at no cost to you in the event of bad weather or serious technical issues.

In this case, the customer is fully refunded, and Manawa’s Weather Guarantee is automatically applied.

Booking modifications

Customers may request to reschedule their activity. You’re free to accept or decline based on your availability.

• Before your cancellation policy takes effect, Manawa’s support team can help modify the booking easily and at no cost.
• Once within the cancellation window, modifications are no longer guaranteed. However, if you prefer to avoid a cancellation, you’re free to propose a date change as an exception, a great way to preserve the booking and your client relationship.

Being flexible, when possible, can make a real difference to the customer experience and help avoid unnecessary cancellations.

The benefits of a clear, transparent cancellation policy

• More bookings: Customers are more likely to book when policies are clear.
• Fewer disputes: Everyone knows what to expect.
• Better visibility: Clear terms boost your SEO ranking on Manawa and Google.

Partner insight: Corsica Canyon, Manawa partner since 2016
"At the beginning of 2024, we switched our half-day activities from Flexible to Super Flexible. The result? An 8% increase in conversions over the summer. It clearly paid off for us."

As of 2025, the breakdown of cancellation policies on Manawa is as follows:

• 55% use the Flexible policy
• 20% use Super Flexible
• 15% use Moderate
• 10% use Strict or Super Strict

What to remember

A well-chosen cancellation policy strikes the right balance between flexibility for your clients and peace of mind for you.

Take a few minutes to review your activities: the right policy can be the difference between a confirmed booking and a missed opportunity.

For any questions related to your cancellation policies, feel free to contact us at: [email protected]