The European Union has issued its final version of the revision of its directive on packaged travel. Stated in its simplest way, the revision now includes leisure travel purchased online—in which the components of a package are purchased separately but linked together by the purchaser—in the same fashion as the directive has treated traditional travel packages put together and sold by tour operators and travel agents. This means that the protections afforded the traveler consumer now include OTA packages, as well as product sold by individual online travel suppliers, thereby removing a vital point of distinction between offline and online travel agencies.
Of course, the above is a considerable over-simplification of what the directive contains. If you are interested in reviewing the complete, 43-page, nearly, 18,000-word document complete with citations and appendices, click on the “A” link below. If you would like to see a clear-and-simple two-page article by Sophie Arrowsmith (she is a London-based attorney who specializes in travel law) that explains directive, visit the “B” link go, which appeared in TravelMole.com.
The proposed revision to the original EU directive (It was proposed in 1990 and became effective in 1992) was first promulgated in July 2013. It then when through a lengthy process of consultation, during which individual governments, the travel trade and other entities made comments and suggestions. It won’t become fully effective until July 1, 2018.
B. http://www.travelmole.com/news_feature.php?news_id=2020595&c=setreg®ion=2
