Safeguards for online holiday bookings

TOURISTS who book their holidays over the internet rather than using a travel agency are to get new consumer protections as a result of an overhaul of existing EU legislation.

EU Consumer Affairs Commissioner, Meglena Kuneva, announced yesterday that people who book holidays over the internet could look forward to additional safeguards following a major review of the EU Package Travel Directive due to take place this autumn.

Ms Kuneva said she had ordered the initiative on the basis that existing EU consumer legislation did not reflect changes in the marketplace over the two decades.