Legislation
22 July 2026
Revised Package Travel Directive now in force
Legislation
22 July 2026
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Stronger EU rules on package holidays entered into force on 28 May 2026, tightening insolvency protection and clarifying which combined trips count as a “package”.
Editorial team
European Commission
Topics
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Academic / Research and VET Institutions
Business Support Organisation
Company with 250 or more employees
Cluster Organisations
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Industry Associations and Chambers of Commerce
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SMEs (a company with less than 250 employees)
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Other
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Specific types of tourism
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Adventure tourism
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Coastal, maritime and inland water tourism
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Cultural tourism
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Ecotourism
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Education tourism
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Festival tourism
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Gastronomy tourism
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Health and medical tourism
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MICE tourism
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Mountain tourism
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Religious tourism
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Rural tourism
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Sports tourism
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Urban/city tourism
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Wellness tourism
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Transition Pathway Strategic Areas
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Accessible tourism services
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Best practices, peer learning and networking
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Changes in tourism demand and opportunities
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Circularity of tourism services
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Coordinated information on travelling
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Cross-border travelling
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Digitalisation of tourism SMEs and destinations
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Equal and fair tourism jobs
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Funding and support measures
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Governance of tourism destinations
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Green Transition of Tourism Companies and SMEs
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Improving formal education
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Improving statistics and indicators
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Innovative tourism services
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Multimodal travelling
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Online visibility of tourism offer
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Pact for skills
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Promoting PEF/OEF methods for tourism
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R&I on climate-friendly tourism
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R&I on digital tools for tourism
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Short-term rentals
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Skills needs for twin transition
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Sustainable mobility
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Tools for data on tourism
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Tourism strategies
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Training opportunities
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Well-being of residents
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Business activities
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Activities of amusement parks and theme parks
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Activities of associations and other organisations supporting tourism
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Air passenger transport
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Camping grounds, recreational vehicle parks and trailer parks
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Events catering and other food services
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Festivals, cultural and entertainment activities
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Gardens and nature reserves activities
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Holiday Housing / Apartments and other short stay accommodation
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Hotel and similar accommodation
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Mobile beverage services
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Mobile food services
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Museums
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Operation of historical sites
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Other
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Other accommodation
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Other amusement and recreation activities
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Other food and beverage services
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Other holiday reservation services
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Other tourism transportation activities
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Rail Passenger transport
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Recreational and sport activities
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Restaurants, cafes and bars (Food and Beverage serving activities)
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Road passenger transport
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Tour operator activities
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Travel agency activities
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Water (sea, coastal and inland) passenger transport
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Share
Directive (EU) 2026/1024, adopted by the Council on 30 March 2026 following the European Parliament's approval, updates the 2015 Package Travel Directive in response to lessons from the Thomas Cook collapse and the Covid-19 pandemic. The revised rules simplify the legal definition of a package holiday, remove the previous concept of “linked travel arrangements”, and require faster refunds – within six months in most insolvency cases, or nine months for more complex ones.
Tour operators must also acknowledge customer complaints within seven days and respond in full within sixty. Member States have 28 months to transpose the changes into national law, with full application expected from 2029. For tourism businesses, the reform brings welcome clarity on scope while strengthening the safety net travellers rely on when booking combined trips.
#PackageTravel #ConsumerRights #EULaw #Tourism #TravelInsolvency
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