| The European Commission has just presented a number of proposals for adjustments to the EU's regulatory framework for the travel sector. The initiative aims to address shortcomings that became apparent during the pandemic. The main features of the proposals are to ensure that suppliers refund in connection with canceled trips and to make travel via multiple modes of transport more seamless. The proposal presented by the Commission this week has been met with mixed reactions. The Swedish Travel Industry Association (SRF) welcomes the measures to increase clarity in the regulations while also speeding up supplier refunds. Suppliers such as airlines and hotels will be forced to refund tour operators within 7 days of a trip being cancelled. During the pandemic, suppliers waited up to a year and a half to reimburse tour operators. However, the proposal to limit advance payments for package tours is the wrong way to go, as it will drive up prices and hit small and medium-sized travel companies. At the same time, consumer protection will be weakened as more people will opt out of package tours that offer protection and provide security for the traveler. The proposal is also criticized for lacking the necessary tools to effectively handle major crises such as the pandemic or the ash cloud of 2010. Under the current travel guarantee framework, package travellers are protected against the insolvency of the tour operator for their advance payments. SRF believes that overall consumer protection would be improved if this protection were extended to include stand-alone services, in particular air travel. There is currently no protection when an airline goes bankrupt. SRF stresses the need for the rules on package travel to be given a broader scope of application in order to benefit a larger proportion of EU citizens. The Commission also proposes that multi-modal journeys should be made smoother by giving carriers increased responsibility for delays and cancellations. – When you read both the proposals on passenger rights and on package travel, there is unfortunately a clear imbalance between package operators and airlines when it comes to protecting consumers' advance payments. The package travel industry took responsibility for the crisis during the pandemic, while suppliers passed the liquidity crisis on to intermediary travel companies. However, we welcome the proposal on refunds and increased liability for carriers, says Didrik von Seth, Secretary General of SRF. According to the press release. |
