Q: My family and I have booked a package holiday with a local travel agency. A few days before we were due to depart, the travel agency informed us that two of the excursions that we booked had to be changed, and therefore we will be visiting different places. This was not acceptable to us as we had chosen that specific travel package because of the selection of tours it had and because of the places we would visit during these excursions. Can we cancel the booked holiday? What kind of compensation are we entitled to?

A: The Package Travel Regulations state that if before the date of departure a travel agency cancels or makes a significant alteration to an essential part of the package travel contract, in such situations consumers are legally entitled to suitable alternative arrangements, and where applicable, to compensation.

If the changed package is not suitable to you, before giving you the possibility to cancel the holiday and refund you the money paid, the travel agency may in the first instance offer a replacement package of equivalent or superior quality. It may also offer a package of lower quality. If you opt for the latter you are entitled to recover the difference in price. If none of the proposed packages are acceptable to you then you may opt to cancel your booking and claim back a refund. In this case you may also be entitled to be compensated for the inconvenience caused of having your holiday significantly changed a few days before the date of departure.

If, however, the change in the package holiday was beyond the travel agency’s control, legally no compensation can be claimed. For instance, the agency cannot be held responsible for any change in plans due to bad weather, strikes or unavoidable breakdowns.

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