Travelers Get Better Protection with New Package Rules

European Parliament position (12 March 2026) – Directive (EU) 2026/… amending Directive (EU) 2015/2302

• The Parliament adopts a position on a Commission proposal (COM(2023)0905) to amend Directive 2015/2302, which governs package travel.
• The aim is to make traveller protection stronger, simplify the rules, and clarify the definition of a “package”.
• The amendment removes the concept of “linked travel arrangements” and Annex II, and replaces it with a clearer definition of a package: at least two different travel services for the same trip, booked by one trader or by separate traders within 24 hours, with the traveller’s personal data transferred between traders.
• A package can also be formed when a traveller is offered additional services before or after the first booking, but the trader must inform the traveller that the combination will not be a package if the invitation is made before payment or if the additional services are not part of the same trip.
• The directive keeps the requirement that a package must be sold for a single trip or holiday and that the services must be linked by the same trader or by linked booking within 24 hours.
• The definition of “unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances” is clarified: objective events such as war, terrorism, serious health risks or natural disasters that make the trip unsafe or expose travellers to risk.
• Travellers can terminate a package before it starts without paying a fee if such circumstances are expected to affect the trip.
• If a package is cancelled or not performed, the organiser must refund the traveller within 14 days (or within 14 days after a substitute package is agreed).
• Organisers may offer a voucher instead of a refund. The voucher must be at least the amount of the refund, can be higher, can be used for any service of the organiser, can be transferred once, is valid for up to 12 months (extendable once for up to 12 months), and the traveller’s refund right is suspended while the voucher is valid.
• Refunds for cancelled services must be paid by the service provider to the organiser within 7 days.
• Organisers must provide clear pre‑contractual information, including the organiser’s contact details, the right to terminate, the refund rule, the voucher rule, and the ADR (alternative dispute resolution) mechanism.
• Organisers must handle complaints: acknowledge receipt within 7 days and give a reasoned reply within 60 days (shorter periods allowed by Member States).
• Organisers must provide assistance if a traveller is in difficulty (health, local authorities, consular help).
• Insolvency protection: Member States must ensure that organisers have security covering all payments made by travellers, including repatriation if the return journey is part of the package. The security must be sufficient for the highest possible payments and for repatriation costs.
• Organisers must inform travellers immediately of insolvency, the entity responsible for protection, and the documents needed for a refund.
• Member States must publish an online list of organisers and retailers covered by insolvency protection and share it with the Commission.
• The directive requires Member States to adopt national measures within 28 months of entry into force and to apply them from 34 months after entry.
• The Commission will report to Parliament and the Council five years after the directive enters into force, assessing its impact on micro‑, small‑ and medium‑sized organisers.
• The directive is addressed to Member States and will enter into force 20 days after publication in the Official Journal.