Since the latter part of 2009, Consumer Organisations and The Travel Industry have been engaged in a lengthy Political Consultation process, to determine the future of Consumer or Travel Industry Rights and Obligations or Safety Issues.  HolidayTravelWatch has been fully engaged in this process and has responded to the European Commission’s request for Stakeholders to provide comment upon the future of The Package Travel Directive. Read More

Since the latter part of 2009 we have all watched with interest and sorrow whilst the toll of economic collapse takes place around us.  The events surrounding the fall of the latest travel company, Globespan, provides an interesting window into the workings of travel companies, so-called ‘regulation’ and the plight of the holiday consumer and their complaints. Read More

Those of us working within the Travel Industry (there are those who think that HolidayTravelWatch is not part of the Industry – oh well!) have since 2005, commented on the growth of the so-called DIY or Dynamically Packaged Holiday and the threat to Consumer Rights.  For our part, we have illustrated very clearly to the UK Government and the EU Commission the real detriment being suffered, not just by British Holidaymakers, but also by other EU Citizens!  For the last 2 years the EU Commission has been building up a body of information through consultations and surveys and it was expected that from this autumn through to the spring 2010, they would announce their proposals for a revised Package Travel Directive. Read More

The issue of Holiday Financial Protection through the ATOL scheme has attracted intense scrutiny since the collapse of the XL Group and Freedom Direct.  We have been guiding Mr & Mrs A – consider this quote from Mrs A – “the more this is highlighted the better – various people who I have spoken to – are under the impression that if a Tour Operator has an ABTA/ATOL No, they are covered – how wrong they are!!”  Mr & Mrs A booked a holiday through the collapsed travel provider, Freedom Direct.  They purchased a flight, hotel and transfers, all stated as one inclusive price.  They have advised that it was their intention to purchase a package holiday and that there was nothing that they could see or hear, which put them on notice that it was anything other than a package holiday! Read More

HolidayTravelWatch publishes its latest report commenting on the operation of The Package Travel Directive (incorporated into UK law in 1992 as The Package Travel Regulations). Read More

In October 2007, HolidayTravelWatch submitted its findings and recommendations to the EU Commission on the Package Travel Directive.  Following that report, the EU parliament adopted a resolution calling for a ‘renewed’ EU Tourism Policy.  This was followed by a report, commissioned by the EU Parliament, which recommended a strengthening of the Package Travel Directive. Read More

The Unfair Commercial Practices Directive came into force on 26 May 2008 in the UK as The Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 (referred from here on as the Unfair Trading Regulations).  They were introduced following a lengthy EU wide consultation on how the consumer was disadvantaged by the actions and behaviour of companies.  The Regulations can be found at this link – http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2008/uksi_20081277_en_2#pt1-l1g1  The Regulations repealed vast areas of previous UK consumer laws. Read More