The government has announced that new regulations – due to come into effect in July next year – will offer greater protection to holidaymakers who book their trips away online.
The proposals, which are set to be introduced under the European Union’s Package Travel Directive, have been welcomed by travel experts who had previously been critical that UK law had not yet caught up with the changing ways in which we book holidays.
A consultation has now been launched on the proposed changes, which include ensuring online customers are given as much information as those who book offline at the point of purchase, such as regarding their rights to securing refunds.
The changes come after the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) pointed out that the existing regulations did not adequately protect online bookers, thus creating a consumer rights gap.
Quoted in the Guardian, Alex Neill of consumer organisation Which? backed ABTA’s position, adding that “the government must make sure gaps in protection are addressed so that consumers have peace of mind however they book their package holiday”.
The news will no doubt be welcomed by all those who are considering booking their next singles holidays overseas shortly, as they can now be assured of even greater protection in the unlikely event that anything goes wrong.
Image Credit: Hamza Butt
