Does your business sell two or more different types of travel or tourism services? Then you might have certain obligations under the rules on package travel and linked arrangements.
This page provides an introduction on package travel regulations. These might help you to ensure that your business follows current UK and EU regulations.
The information on this page should not be seen as a substitute for reading the regulations in full or getting independent legal advice.
A packaged holiday is a pre-arranged combination of at least two of the following components:
transport
accommodation
other tourist services that count for a significant proportion of the package
Such "other tourist services" may include things like tours, excursions, guides, attraction entry, etc.
Examples of packaged holiday components may include:
a tourism businesses offering accommodation and entry tickets to an attraction
car hire as part of an overnight stay
an activity that can be optionally booked with an accommodation
Rules on package travel are in place to protect consumers and ultimately you as a business. Some of these protections include:
making the organiser liable for the performance of the travel services making up the package (even if performed by third parties)
protection against the insolvency of package organisers (including refunds and repatriations)
clarity on what product the traveller is buying and the associated protections
The UK parliament passed the current guidance when the UK was still part of the EU and is therefore fully compatible with EU guidance. When offering packages to groups from outside the UK, please refer to the guidance from their respective country.
The following webinar by Travlaw provides a detailed introduction to package travel regulations. Travlaw is a full service, travel-niche law firm. They provide legal advice that's specifically tailored to meet the needs of the travel industry.