The Commission of the European Union (EU) is preparing to announce changes in the legislation on package tours. Europeans have been offered a new way to pay for tours, due to which tour operators have already declared imminent mass bankruptcy.
According to the German press, after the bankruptcy of Thomas Cook, the EU has stepped up its efforts to make comprehensive changes to the legislation related to package tours, with an emphasis on consumer protection. The pandemic only strengthened these initiatives. However, the initiatives cause serious criticism from tourism workers. Thus, in Germany, the Association of Travel Agencies (DRV) at meetings to discuss the professional and legal aspects of the changes that need to be made on this issue, fully criticized the decision, setting out its reasoning in a separate statement.
In general, tour operators criticized the issue of advance payment for a ticket. The fact is that this EU regulation requires that the maximum down payment is 20%.
This will create financial difficulties for tour operators. If the regulation of advance payments is put into effect, it will lead to bankruptcies in the industry,” experts say.