Expensive surprise on vacation: EU is planning new package travel rules!

Expensive surprise on vacation: EU is planning new package travel rules!

The discussion about changes in the regulation of package holidays in the European Union is gaining momentum. Loud chip Package holidays are an extremely popular way of booking a holiday in Germany. In fact, Germany is the largest package holiday market in the EU, accounting for an impressive share of around 41 percent of total EU package holidays.

An upcoming EU reform could now introduce an expanded definition of package holidays. In the future, bookings made within 3 or 24 hours could also be considered package holidays. This plan would mean that flights and hotels booked at short notice would enjoy the same consumer protection rights that currently apply to classic package holidays.

Extended consumer rights

The new regulations would help ensure that customers are entitled to comprehensive consumer rights when making such bookings. The tour operators, including travel agencies, would then have to fulfill the same liability and information obligations as with usual package tours. This goes hand in hand with existing EU consumer law, which already guarantees rights when booking and carrying out package holidays, such as Europe confirmed.

However, the additional financial burden resulting from measures such as price reductions, cancellation policies and bankruptcy protection could potentially lead to higher prices for travelers. The EU Commission, the Council and the Parliament have been negotiating the scope of these reforms, which also affect the right to cancel a trip, since September 24th.

Right of cancellation and liability

In the future, it may also be possible to cancel the booking in the event of unavoidable circumstances at the place of residence or departure. Over 98 percent of tour operators in Germany are small or medium-sized companies that would be significantly affected by these changes. These formalities are the responsibility not only of the large providers, but also of the smaller companies that play an important role in the German tourism sector.

The German Travel Band has already called on the federal government to represent German interests in this reform process. At this point in time, many questions arise about the specific impact of the new regulations on the prices and availability of package holidays.

In summary, it can be seen that the EU's changes to the Package Travel Regulation promise both advantages in the form of expanded rights for consumers and also bring challenges, particularly for small tour operators. The final outcome of these negotiations remains to be seen.