E.U. Package Travel Directive To Be Revised

The current European Union law on package travel -the Package Travel Directive- was drawn up in 1990 and is no longer suited for today’s travel market and will be renewed, E.U. Consumer Commissioner Meglena Kuneva recently announced at a press conference in Brussels.

The consumer commissioner’s plan is a response to the huge increase in consumers that make up their own packages, particularly “dynamic packages,” by choosing two or more services from one supplier (website).

According to Ms. Kuneva, in 1997 the Directive protected 98 percent of passengers that traveled from the United Kingdom via leisure flights, now less than 50 percent are protected.

“Fewer and fewer people are getting the holiday protection they deserve,” Ms. Kuneva stressed.

On the Greek front, the Panhellenic Federation of Tourism Enterprises (POET) welcomed the E.U. consumer commissioner’s announcement.

The federation said it stands ready to actively participate in a joint Greek proposal that would relate to the crucial aspects of the Directive that is expected to have repercussions in tour operator and travel package fields.