Travel packages – including fully organized trips but also combinations of two or more travel services such as combining a hotel stay with a rental car – offer a multitude of consumer rights, compared to individually booked travel services. These rights are governed by the EU Package Travel Directive (PTD). VVA and ConPolicy were commissioned by the European Parliament’s IMCO committee to assess the performance of the directive and broader consumer protection issues in the implementation of passenger rights. ConPolicy specifically assessed how well consumers are aware of their rights and whether they are able to enforce them.
The study found that the law was overall fit-for-purpose but that it could be sharpened in some respects to strengthen consumer protection. For example, pre-contractual information could be better revealed using a standardized and concise format like the Key Information Document used for insurance services.
Further information on the project can be found here.
The full study can be downloaded here.