This law matters for travel agencies, retreat operators, event businesses, tour providers and online travel sellers. Combining accommodation, transport, activities or other travel services can create package obligations even where the business sees itself as a small organiser.
Main laws
United Kingdom Regulation
Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018
These Regulations regulate package travel and linked travel arrangements sold to UK travellers.
In forceUnited KingdomPlain-English guide4 practical checks
Plain-English explainers, not legal advice. Use the linked official source for section-level detail, and get advice for your situation.
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Quick read
- This law matters for travel agencies, retreat operators, event businesses, tour providers and online travel sellers.
- Combining accommodation, transport, activities or other travel services can create package obligations even where the business sees itself as a small organiser.
Likely relevant if
- Travel agencies and tour operators
- Retreat, event and experience businesses
- Online travel and booking platforms
Check first
- Check whether the offer is a package or linked travel arrangement
- Provide required pre-contract information
- Manage cancellation, insolvency protection and responsibility rules
What this means in practice
Key points
- Bundling travel services can change the legal risk profile.
- Customer-facing itinerary wording should match supplier contracts.
- Insolvency protection questions should be answered before taking bookings.
When this law usually matters
Most businesses do not need to memorise the whole law. The useful starting point is to know when it is likely to affect a contract, customer journey, employee process, data flow or company decision.
Key points
- Travel agencies and tour operators
- Retreat, event and experience businesses
- Online travel and booking platforms
- Businesses bundling accommodation, transport or activities
What to check first
Sense check
- Check whether the offer is a package or linked travel arrangement
- Provide required pre-contract information
- Manage cancellation, insolvency protection and responsibility rules
- Keep supplier and customer terms aligned
Documents and workflows to review
Key points
- Booking terms
- Itinerary and sales pages
- Supplier contracts
- Cancellation policy
- Insolvency protection records