Forest fires in North Rhine-Westphalia: How to protect your vacation entitlements!

Forest fires in North Rhine-Westphalia: How to protect your vacation entitlements!

Summer holidays are still in effect in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), which has a significant impact on travelers. Given the current forest fire situation, tourists in the affected regions urgently need to find out about their travel options. In many cases, trips can be canceled free of charge if there are exceptional circumstances such as forest fires that significantly impact the trip. This has the WDR highlighted in their recent report.

It is important to emphasize that extreme weather events, such as heatwaves, are not among these circumstances. To justify cancellation, the fires must have started at the vacation location or in the immediate vicinity. Whether there is an objective danger plays a decisive role; the personal feelings of the travelers are not enough.

Rights of travelers in the event of forest fires

Tour operators are obliged to offer alternatives to the booked holiday destination. However, travelers are not obliged to accept them. If travelers are in a fire hazard zone, it may be necessary to vacate the accommodation. Package tourists are entitled to care and accommodation in another hotel at no additional cost. It is also possible to end the trip early, although the travel price can be reduced if the travel services do not meet the booked standard.

Round trips can be canceled free of charge if essential parts of the trip are not carried out. For individual services booked, such as flights or accommodation, payments may not be required if the service is not provided. If flights are canceled due to forest fires, travelers have the choice between a refund of the flight price or a replacement flight.

When individually booked accommodation abroad, travelers are dependent on the goodwill of the provider, which in many cases can result in cancellation fees of up to 100%. The law of the respective country also applies here. Another important aspect is that trip cancellation or interruption insurance generally does not cover exceptional circumstances such as forest fires. This was also done by the VZHH emphasized.

Preventative measures and emergency contacts

Vacationers should also activate “Cell Broadcast Alerts” on their smartphones to receive warning messages in a timely manner. In emergencies, the emergency number 112 can be dialed, and most employees also understand English. The Federal Foreign Office also recommends registering yourself on the “Elefand” crisis preparedness list before traveling. When near forests, it is also advisable to only park in designated areas and to avoid smoking or open fires, as most forest fires are started by arson and dryness and strong winds encourage their spread.

In summary, travelers should be well informed in the current situation in order to know their rights and be able to react appropriately. Given the possible dangers and complications, it is essential to find out exactly about the applicable regulations before traveling.