The revised Package Travel Directive updates the definition of package travel and clarifies travellers’ rights while introducing changes that will directly affect how coach services are organised, contracted and reimbursed within package tours.
IRU welcomes the adoption of the updated framework, which incorporates several key improvements secured during the legislative process.
The removal of a rigid EU-wide cap on down payments avoids unnecessary liquidity constraints, while the removal of disproportionate penalties reduces excessive financial risk for operators, many of which are small and medium-sized enterprises. Excluding Linked Travel Arrangements from the core scope of the Directive also provides clearer legal boundaries on when package travel rules apply.
At the same time, some operational challenges remain, particularly on reimbursement timelines, voucher flexibility, and the handling of extraordinary circumstances, which will be critical in ensuring workable implementation for coach operators.
IRU EU Advocacy Director Raluca Marian said, “Strengthening traveller rights is essential for a resilient tourism sector. At the same time, the rules must remain workable for operators on the ground.
“Coach companies are often subcontracted within package travel and must not face disproportionate financial or administrative burdens.”
In cases of cancellation due to extraordinary and unavoidable circumstances, travellers must be reimbursed within 14 days. Unchanged seven-day refund timelines between operators and organisers may require transport providers to reimburse costs rapidly, potentially before recovering their own expenses, creating liquidity pressure in disruption scenarios. While vouchers remain possible, their voluntary nature limits operators’ ability to manage cancellations flexibly.
The case-by-case assessment of extraordinary circumstances may also create legal uncertainty, particularly during large-scale disruptions affecting transport operations.
Following publication in the Official Journal, the Directive will be transposed into national law by EU Member States. IRU will continue to engage with policymakers to ensure that implementation remains proportionate and workable for coach tourism operators across Europe.