The planned amendment to the EU Package Travel Directive has been met with criticism from experts. At a webinar held by the German Travel Association (DRV), travel lawyer Ansgar Staudinger demanded that the EU Commission should not further tighten consumer protection, as package tours are already comprehensively covered.
In particular, the withdrawn three-hour rule, which meant that travel agencies would become tour operators when booking several individual services within three hours, was a controversial issue. Stronger regulation of online platforms such as Booking.com also needs to be reconsidered. Staudinger pointed out that insuring individual services to the same extent as package tours does not make economic sense and could lead to higher prices. The reform process is expected to be completed by 2027.