Travel agencies will have an extra year to settle cancelled holidays

Travel agencies in Slovakia will be granted more than a year to resolve holidays that were cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. People over the age of 70 will be able to get their money back fom tours right away. Stemming from the material prepared by the Economy Ministry and approved by the Government and Parliament in a fast-tracked procedure on Wednesday, if an emergency situation occurs in Slovakia or at the destination, the travel agency can offer the customer a change in the travel contract. If the holidaymaker does not accept the proposed amendment to the contract, the agency can propose an alternative trip. "The travel agency is obliged to agree with the travellers on the provision of a substitute trip no later than on August 31, 2021," reads the material. The opposition SMER-SD party disagrees with the proposed measures and suggests direct support for travel agencies. According to the Slovak Consumer Organisations Chamber, the compulsory vouchers that the act aims to introduce infringe the European Parliament's and European Council's package travel and linked travel arrangements directive, thus, they warn that the new act could lead to a lawsuit from the European Commission for breaching EU law.