Project Update: Travel Trade Consumer Protection Measures
The Commission has published a project update on its examination of the consumer protection arrangements in the travel trade industry. This update follows the consultation meetings with the travel trade held in October 2017, and our assessment of the 42 written responses received from the travel trade relating to our consultation paper of August 2017. Alongside this update, we have published the 42 written responses and a reportsummarising those responses.
In parallel to this project, we are looking at the implementation of the Package Travel Directive. The requirements of the Directive may impact on the structure of the consumer protection arrangements that need to be in place in Ireland. At this time, we have decided to separate our project into 2 Stages. This update is the Stage 1 report setting out initial views. We will pause the start of Stage 2 until we conclude our consultation on the Package Travel Directive and are in a position to determine if aspects of the current protection arrangements need to be amended or augmented.
At this Stage 1 conclusion, the Commission’s view is that the current scheme is no longer effective. The scheme needs to be reformed to be able to continue to offer the level of protection expected by consumers of the travel trade industry.