Alltours founder Willi Verhuven is one of the pioneers of package tours in Germany and is now pushing ahead with the fact that customers who have not opted for the Flex package can no longer rebook or cancel free of charge even if they have been warned.

Alltours is thus breaking new ground, because up until now it has been customary for package travelers to be able to withdraw from the contract free of charge in the event of travel warnings or to change their booking to another destination at no extra cost. The German tour operator only wants to make this possible if the customers have previously booked the chargeable Flex package. So far, no other tour operator has behaved like this, but it could well be that Verhuven is once again a pioneer and initiates a new trend.

Up until now, it was common for package travelers to be able to withdraw or rebook free of charge in the event of travel warnings. However, the European government has stocked up on travel warnings in such an inflationary manner, some of which were difficult to understand, that any deterrent effect has been lost. Nevertheless, Alltours no longer seems to be willing to take the economic risk and is passing it on to the customers. Will you get away with it? That is questionable, because it can be assumed that at least one customer will go to court and then the judiciary has to decide.

Among other things, Willi Verhuven explains to the industry journal FVW that, in his opinion, the upgrading of Spain and the Netherlands would not come as a surprise to customers. This would have become apparent due to the increasing number of infections in recent weeks. The manager and owner is of the opinion that the vaccinations should go back to normal.

According to the European Consumer Center, Alltours is currently moving in a legally unresolved gray area. It would not be clarified by the highest court whether travel warnings in the second year of the pandemic would entitle a person to withdraw from travel free of charge, since “exceptional circumstances” also exist at home. Furthermore, when booking, customers would have known that the situation around the world could change quickly. It is also unclear whether a possible quarantine at the destination or home location constitutes a reason for withdrawal or not. In any case, the EVZ is of the opinion that this could represent a disruption of the business basis, but a judicial clarification in Corona year 2 is still pending.