COVID-19 and EU Travellers' Rights - Evaluation of the Member States Implementation of the EU Recommendation on vouchers

Since early March 2020, package holidays and stand-alone transport services have been cancelled due to the pandemic. However, despite EU travel laws giving travellers the right to a monetary refund, numerous Member States have implemented national emergency measures in direct contradiction to this right by forcing vouchers onto consumers and/or by lengthening the statutory deadlines for refund. In May, the European Commission published a Recommendation on vouchers, aiming at making the offer of voluntary vouchers attractive for consumers without depriving them of the right to a refund. The recommendation was strongly welcomed by BEUC and our members, but its benefit for consumers remain limited because Member States have not implemented it sufficiently. To regain the confidence of consumers in the transport and tourism industry, it is essential that EU law is both observed and enforced.