A PROPOSAL to protect the increasing number of holidaymakers who create their own packages on the internet rather than through travel agents was welcomed by Irish MEPs last night.
The European Commission wants to modernise the safeguards which EU law has given to traditional package tourists to include the travellers who book “dynamic packages” online.
As holidaymakers increasingly book hotels and flights on the internet, consumer protection has decreased, John Dali, commissioner for health and consumer policy, told the parliament in Strasbourg last night.
This shift has also resulted in an uneven playing field for travel agents, he said.
Agents selling traditional packages are subject to strict regulations which do not apply to many airlines and other companies providing so-called “dynamic packages” online.
Irish consumers are among the highest users of “dynamic packages” in the EU. Some 46 per cent of Irish holidaymakers have booked such a holiday in the last two years, which is double the EU average.
Alan Kelly, Labour MEP for Ireland South, pointed out that over half of consumers believe that they are protected in the case of airline bankruptcy when they book such dynamic packages or arrange independent travel. However, in many cases they are not.
The proposal was “very timely” because, last summer, many airlines in Europe “went bust” and left people stranded without knowing who to contact or how to seek redress, he said.
He urged the commission to enshrine basic customer-care principles in any directive. It would also be an opportune time to introduce more transparency in airline charges and costs, he said.
Jim Higgins, Fine Gael MEP for Ireland North West, applauded the proposal to change the “out of date” 1990 Package Travel Directive.
There was increasing confusion about who accepted liability and the diversity of products was blurring the lines between tour operators and agencies, he said.
Seán Kelly MEP said the review could benefit both the industry and consumer, and said there was a great opportunity for the travel industry to tap into the over-60s market.
The revised directive could cover new types of packages such as holidays put together by the consumer from the same website or from a link to a partner website (for example booking a flight online and being redirected to a car hire site).
It will look at what information should be provided to the consumer, clarify who should be liable when things go wrong, and how consumers can be protected in the case of airline insolvency.
However, it is unlikely that the review will cover separate bookings where the consumer buys different components from different sellers that are not linked.
A high level of protection is key to ensure consumer confidence and to provide a level playing field for travel businesses, Mr Dali said.
The commissioner hopes to present the amended proposal to the parliament this year.
However, yesterday he said while the commission was exploring the exact make up of the package it was too early to decide the way forward.
The commission is “in the middle of a consultation process” and has completed a public online consultation and plants to meet with stakeholders in April, he said.
However, any action would aim to ensure high level of protection for EU citizens, he said.
Meanwhile, EU holidaymakers hoping to bring pets with them to Ireland look set to face continued restrictions on pet travel.
In most EU counties pets (cats, dogs and ferrets) can be brought on holiday to another EU state if the owner has a pet passport showing its vaccination records.
The parliament is expected to today vote in favour of an amendment to extend the existing restrictions for Ireland and four other EU countries until the end of 2011 to allow for the completion of the EU vaccination programme.
The restrictions which aim to keep Ireland free from rabies and ticks were due to end this summer.