Green light for the directive

All-inclusive travel, new rules and more consumer protection from the EU

The European Parliament approved the updated directive strengthening protections for those who leave, setting clear rules on penalties, complaints and refunds

by Camilla Curcio

12 March 2026

3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

Protect as much as possible travellers by providing clear and unambiguous rules. This is the aim of the updated directive, which was definitively approved by the European Parliament with 537 votes in favour, two against and 24 abstentions (and already provisionally agreed with EU countries), explaining which trips and services can be classified as a tourist package, regulating the use of vouchers and setting limits and conditions that will allow consumers to cancel their itineraries without incurring any costs.

"These updated rules will protect consumers when something goes wrong with their package tour," said rapporteur Alex Agius Saliba (S&D, Malta) after the vote. "In the event of extraordinary circumstances affecting any part of the trip, they will be able to cancel the booking with a full refund. The acceptance of vouchers will remain voluntary and a refund can be requested instead. Travel companies will be obliged to respond to complaints within 60 days, and robust insolvency protection will ensure that, when bankruptcy occurs, the financial loss will not fall on families". But let us try to understand in detail what will change.

The tourist package

The newly introduced rules are aimed at simplifying the customer's approach to travel offers: the goal, specifically, is to help the customer understand which combinations of services constitute a package in all respects. The key elements to be taken into account are, without doubt, the time at which the holiday is booked and the manner. In the case of a online booking, for example, which often allows the customer to combine services offered by different providers, these can only be considered a package if the first operator passes on the user's personal data to the other operators involved and the contract (covering all the services selected and purchased) is concludedwithin 24 hours.

If the organiser of the holiday invites the customer to book further services to be added, the latter shall be duly informed if they do not constitute a package with those already booked.

The voucher node

The directive then turns the spotlight on a particularly debated topic: that of vouchers, frequently used as a lifesaver in the event of train or plane cancellations (as happened, for instance, during the pandemic) or issued in the form of gift cards. Under the new rules, consumers will be able to reject the voucher and instead request a refund within 14 days. Not only that: vouchers will be valid for a maximum of one year and customers will have to be reimbursed for any expired and unused vouchers, either in full or only in part. More restrictions for companies: they will not be able to restrict the choice of travel services for voucher holders.

Penalties: extended perimeter

Until now, travellers could cancel planned itineraries without the risk of penalties if inevitable or extraordinary circumstances occurred in the country of arrival. With the new regulation this chance widens its scope: it may, in fact, also be applied in the event of unavoidable and extraordinary events (or events that may in some way affect the journey) at the place of departure.

The assessment of circumstances will obviously be made on a case-by-case basis. And official travel recommendations may also be a valid indication.

Claims and Refunds

Last on the check list, complaints about services. When organisers and tour operators receive one, they must acknowledge its receipt within seven days and give the customer a coherent and reasoned response within 60 days. In the event of bankruptcy of the company that manages (or has managed) the organisation of the holiday, consumers will have the right to be reimbursed for cancelled services, through the guarantee, within six months - in the case of insolvency - and within nine in the case of more complex bankruptcies. The standard deadline of14 days for refunds in case of cancellation of the trip remains the same.

What happens now?

Having defined the rules, it is now up to the European Council to formally adopt the directive: the text will then be published in the Official Journal and officially enter into force. The EU countries will have 28 months from the date of entry into force to transpose the new vademecum into national law and a further six months to start applying the provisions in practice.