EU Strengthens Tourist Protection in Package Tours: What New Rules Will Change for Travelers

The European Union has launched updated rules for package travel, which are intended to make the purchase of tours more transparent and refunds in crisis situations more reliable. For tourists, the main changes concern the right to clear information before booking, the voluntary nature of vouchers, response times for complaints, protection in case of the organizer's insolvency, and a more transparent distinction between a full package tour and individual tourist services.

On May 28, 2026, the European Commission announced that important amendments to the Package Travel Directive have entered into force. This is not about an immediate change of rules in every contract this summer, but about the start of a new regulatory cycle: EU countries have 28 months to transpose the updated norms into national legislation, and another six months after that, they will become mandatory for operators. At the same time, the date of entry into force is important for the market right now, as it fixes the final framework of future requirements and gives tour operators, online agencies, and travelers a clear guideline.

The update has practical significance for everyone who buys a trip not as a set of random bookings, but as a linked tourist product: flight and hotel, accommodation and transfer, an excursion program with transportation, car rental as part of one tour, or other combinations of services. Such trips often seem convenient, but during cancellations, bankruptcies, or extraordinary circumstances, they can become legally complex. The EU is trying to remove some of this uncertainty after the lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic, the bankruptcy of large tour companies, and recent crises that affected air connections and routes.

What Exactly Changed in EU Rules

The new directive clarifies what exactly is considered a package travel and what is an individual tourist service. For the consumer, this is not a formality. If a booking is recognized as a package, the traveler receives a wider set of rights: the organizer's responsibility for the performance of services, access to assistance in difficult situations, protection in case of the company's insolvency, and refund rules in specified cases. If the tourist buys only a separate ticket or a separate hotel, other protection regimes apply.

The European Commission separately emphasizes that the category of linked travel arrangements, which occupied an intermediate position between packages and independent bookings, is being removed from the rules. In practice, this category was complex for both businesses and consumers: a tourist could see several elements of a trip in one digital scenario, but did not always understand whether they had the rights of a package tour buyer. The simplification is intended to reduce the number of standard information forms and make notifications for clients clearer.

For travelers, it is also important that companies must provide clearer information before, during, and after the trip. According to the EU Council, this list includes data on payment methods, passport and visa requirements, accessibility, cancellation terms, and possible fees. This is especially relevant for tourists who buy complex itineraries online: the more services are combined in one booking, the more important it is to know in advance who the organizer is, who is responsible for the problem, and how to act if part of the trip falls through.

Vouchers Should No Longer Automatically Replace Refunds

One of the most noticeable changes concerns vouchers. During the pandemic, many tourists in Europe faced a situation where, instead of a refund for a canceled trip, they were offered credit for a future trip. For some clients, this was an acceptable solution, but for others, it was a factual freezing of money without a guarantee that the next trip would take place or that the company would remain solvent.

The updated rules maintain the possibility of vouchers but make it clearer and more controlled. The tourist must give explicit consent to a voucher, and its acceptance must not deprive them of the right to choose a monetary refund where it is provided. The EU Council explained that a voucher must be at least equal to the cost of the original trip, be valid for 12 months, and be transferable once. The European Commission also noted that if a voucher is not used, an automatic refund must be triggered.

For tourists, this means a simple rule: a voucher can be convenient if the traveler truly plans a new trip with the same operator, but it should not become an alternative-less replacement for money. During future bookings, it is worth keeping the contract terms, correspondence, payment confirmations, and all notifications about tour changes, as these documents help prove which compensation option was offered and what the client agreed to.

Cancellation Due to Extraordinary Circumstances and Refunds

The updated directive clarifies the rights of tourists when a trip is canceled due to extraordinary circumstances. The European Parliament explained that in the event of such circumstances affecting any part of the package trip, travelers will be able to terminate the contract with a full refund. The EU Council also emphasized: if a tourist cancels a trip due to force majeure, they should not be charged a termination fee, and the organizer must return the funds within 14 days.

This provision is important not only for distant exotic routes. Extraordinary circumstances may concern natural disasters, war risks, serious security events, large-scale transport disruptions, or other situations that significantly affect the ability to realize the tour. For the average tourist, the key question is: has the trip objectively become impossible or dangerous, rather than just less convenient. That is why the future practice of applying the rules in EU countries will be significant: national bodies and courts will detail what evidence is sufficient for penalty-free cancellation.

It is worth remembering that the new rules do not eliminate the need to read the contract carefully. In package tours, various conditions for voluntary cancellation by the tourist may remain if the trip is not related to extraordinary circumstances. But the new framework strengthens protection specifically in cases where the problem goes beyond a usual change of plans and affects the very possibility of a safe or full trip.

What Happens in Case of Tour Operator Bankruptcy

The insolvency of the organizer is one of the most painful topics in package tourism. If a company disappears from the market before or during the trip, the tourist risks losing not only money but also access to accommodation, transfer, or the return home. That is why the updated directive emphasizes more transparent protection against bankruptcy and information on how such risks are covered.

The European Commission announced that travelers will have the right to a refund of payments within six months if the package travel organizer becomes insolvent. The EU Council clarified that this period may be extended under certain conditions, but the general logic is obvious: the financial blow from bankruptcy should not automatically be shifted to families who have already paid for their vacation. The updated rules also strengthen requirements for information on insolvency coverage, so that the tourist understands which protection mechanism stands behind their booking.

For the market, this means additional discipline. Tour operators and intermediaries will have to explain more clearly exactly which product they are selling and what level of guarantees it has. For the tourist, the practical conclusion is even simpler: before paying for an expensive tour, it is worth checking who the organizer is, where the company is registered, what insolvency protection terms are specified in the documents, and whether important information is hidden in small print.

Complaints, Response Times, and Business Responsibility

A separate part of the changes concerns the processing of complaints. According to the European Commission, tourists will have the right to a response to a complaint within 60 days. The European Parliament also emphasized the obligation of travel companies to respond to client inquiries within this timeframe. For consumers, this is important because many conflicts after a failed trip are prolonged precisely because of silence or the shifting of responsibility between the agency, carrier, hotel, and tour operator.

In a package travel, the tourist buys not just a set of separate services, but an organized product. Therefore, the updated regulation strengthens the expectation that businesses must have a clear communication system with the client. This does not guarantee that every complaint will be resolved in favor of the tourist, but it establishes basic discipline: an inquiry must be accepted, reviewed, and closed with a response within a predictable timeframe.

For travelers, the best tactic is not to wait for oral promises. If a problem with the hotel, transfer, excursion, or return arises during the tour, it should be recorded in writing: via email, official chat, inquiry form, or another channel that leaves a trace. This helps not only during a dispute with the company but also in the event of an appeal to a national consumer protection body or an alternative dispute resolution mechanism.

Why This Is Important for Ukrainian Tourists

Ukrainian travelers often use European aviation hubs, book tours through international online platforms, buy combined trips to EU countries, or arrange vacations through operators who work with European partners. Therefore, changes in the EU are not purely an internal bureaucratic story. They will affect how tourist products are formed, what documents the client receives, and what rights may apply to a specific booking.

Especially careful should be those who buy complex itineraries: a flight to one country, a transfer to a resort in another, accommodation, excursions, and car rental in one scenario. In such cases, it is important to understand whether this is a package travel, who acts as the organizer, and whether the booking is covered by protection under EU rules. If a tourist independently buys air tickets, hotel, and insurance in different places, the level of protection may be different.

The update also fits into a broader trend of increasing transparency in the European tourist market. Previously, new rules for short-term residential rentals in the EU had already come into effect, which concern platforms like Airbnb and Booking. More details on this direction can be read in our material about new EU rules for short-term rentals. Together, these changes show that Europe is trying to make digital tourism more controlled: cities want to see real data on residential rentals, and consumers want to understand what they are paying for and who is responsible for problems.

When Tourists Will Actually Feel the New Rules

The main nuance is the time horizon. The amendments have already entered into force at the EU level, but member states still have to transpose them into national law. According to official reports, 28 months are provided for this, after which there will be another six months until the practical application of the new provisions for operators. That is, the full effect is not expected immediately, but after the completion of national implementation.

At the same time, business can start adaptation earlier. The European Commission has already called on package travel organizers to voluntarily apply the new approach to vouchers before it becomes legally mandatory. For tourists, this means that some companies may update booking terms, information forms, and complaint procedures gradually, without waiting for the deadline. That is why when buying a tour in 2026-2027, it is worth carefully comparing the terms of different sellers: those who implement transparent rules earlier may look more reliable to the client.

What to Check Before Buying a Package Tour

While the new rules make their way to full application, tourists should use a basic safety checklist. Before payment, it is necessary to find out whether the booking is specifically a package travel, who is legally responsible for the tour, what cancellation terms apply to the client, how the refund is processed, and what happens in case of the organizer's insolvency. If the seller offers a voucher, it is important to check its validity period, the possibility of transfer to another person, guarantees in case of bankruptcy, and the right to choose a monetary refund where it is provided.

• Check if it is explicitly stated that you are buying a package travel, not separate services.
• Save the contract, payment confirmation, itinerary, cancellation terms, and all messages from the seller.
• Clarify who accepts complaints and in what way you should apply in case of a problem.
• Do not agree to a voucher automatically if you need a refund and the law gives such a right.
• For expensive tours, check information on protection in case of the organizer's insolvency.

Conclusion

The updated EU Package Travel Directive is not a one-time news item for lawyers, but an important change in the rules of the game for the tourist market. It is intended to make complex tours more transparent, limit the imposition of vouchers, strengthen protection in case of the organizer's bankruptcy, and give travelers clearer tools for complaints and refunds. The fully new norms will work after implementation in EU countries, but tourists should already get used to the main principle: the more complex and expensive the trip, the more important it is to understand before payment exactly what product is bought, who is responsible for it, and what rights remain with the traveler if the trip does not go as planned.