Revised Package Travel Directive in force as of May 2026

Following the conclusion of negotiations in December last year to amend the Directive on Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements (Directive EU 2015/2302), the consolidated text of the amendments was sent for adoption to both the European Council and the Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee (IMCO) within the European Parliament.

The IMCO Secretariat expects the text to be adopted during its plenary session in March, while the EU Council is likely to adopt it during the Cypriot presidency, following a similar timeframe. Therefore, the final publication of the text in the Official Journal of the European Union is expected in April 2026.

Once published, the text enters into force within 20 days, followed by a 28-month period for member states to implement the changes into their national laws, along with a 6-month transition period. Consequently, the Directive will apply starting no earlier than March 5, 2029.

Background and Key Changes

The revision process for the 2015 Directive was launched four years ago, following the collapse of Thomas Cook and the COVID-19 pandemic, to address legal framework deficiencies in providing package travel services in the EU. The goal is to provide better and more transparent consumer protection while distributing the burden of responsibility more evenly across the service provider chain.

Key points of the adopted amendments include:

• Clearer and simpler definitions: For example, the removal of "linked travel arrangements."

• Service combinations: The possibility to combine services outside the package travel regime, provided the organizer informs the traveler clearly and in advance.

• Vouchers: The possibility of issuing vouchers as an alternative to refunds.

• Advance payments: Removal of certain proposed restrictions related to downpayments.

• Travel recommendations: A balanced approach to organizer obligations in relation to official travel advice.

Source: ECTAA

Photo: UHPA