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Trip canceled: Customers should be able to claim money back

2020-05-20T15:05:22.845Z


What the summer holidays will look like in the Corona year is even more than uncertain. But for many customers the vacation dream has already burst. They should get the money back for a package tour if they want. The travel industry groans.


What the summer holidays will look like in the Corona year is even more than uncertain. But for many customers the vacation dream has already burst. They should get the money back for a package tour if they want. The travel industry groans.

Berlin (dpa) - If you cannot take a package tour because of the Corona crisis, you should be able to get your money back. A voucher solution initially planned by the federal government should only be a voluntary option for consumers. That was decided by the Federal Cabinet in Berlin on Wednesday.

Federal Minister of Justice Christine Lambrecht (SPD) nevertheless appealed to those affected to accept a voucher: "Those who opt for a voucher also make an important contribution to maintaining the variety of offers and services in the travel sector."

The travel association DRV spoke of a "mock solution" that does not solve the problems of the industry. Vouchers would have little acceptance. "Tour operators must therefore continue to refund money to the majority of their customers - money that simply does not exist," said DRV President Norbert Fiebig. It is about a volume of six billion euros. "The cancellations are also pulling the ground away from the travel agencies." Fiebig reiterated the industry's call for government support.

The Greens in the Bundestag also called for support for the travel industry. "We therefore need a rescue fund for all economic and legal forms of tourism, we need a customer money protection fund. We also need higher emergency aid, including for solo self-employed people, as well as a monthly flat rate," said the spokesman for tourism policy, Markus Tressel, and the spokeswoman for consumer protection, Tabea Roessner. "The travel industry is financially on the brink."

Deputy leader of the Union faction, Thorsten Frei (CDU), said bankruptcies should be avoided as much as possible. "That is why the Federal Cabinet also decided today that the federal government and the coalition groups want to reach an agreement by June to provide aid for tour operators and travel agencies."

The original Berlin plans failed due to opposition from the Brussels EU Commission because European travel law provides for a claim for reimbursement in such cases. The government wanted to protect tour operators and travel agencies from bankruptcy with a mandatory voucher solution.

In the case of package tours booked before March 8, 2020, which did not take place due to the corona pandemic, tour operators should be able to offer customers vouchers for later trips instead of reimbursement. According to the federal government, the vouchers are covered by the previous insurance and, if necessary, by a state guarantee of the entire value - this guarantee would also apply if a provider went bankrupt. If a voucher is not redeemed by the end of 2021, the money will be paid out. But travelers can also reject the offer and insist on the immediate payment of the money.

The Federal Ministry of Justice now wants to formulate the details in a draft law. In addition, Lambrecht announced that the government would enable the travel industry to use existing aid programs.

Source: merkur

All news articles on 2020-05-20

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