Proposal for a revised Package Travel Directive: A first step to guarantee robust consumer protection

European consumers often book their holidays and travel services through pre-arranged or customised packages. These contracts are governed by the Package Travel Directive (PTD). 1 in 10 tourist trips by EU residents is organised in the form of a package, representing 1/5 of total EU tourism expenditure. Despite being an important consumer protection instrument, the Thomas Cook bankruptcy and the COVID-19 pandemic have revealed significant shortcomings with the current PTD. The European Commission’s November 2023 proposal to amend the PTD must correct these shortcomings so as to ensure high levels of consumer protection, especially in crisis situations such as bankruptcies and large-scale disruptions.