Can I receive compensation if my excursions are cancelled on site?
August 4, 2023 | 45,00 EUR | answered by Sophia Breitwieser
Dear travel lawyer,
I am writing to you because I recently booked a package holiday and unfortunately, some of the excursions I had booked were cancelled on site. This not only caused me financial losses but also significantly disrupted my holiday plans.
The situation is as follows: I booked a package holiday to Greece, which included accommodation as well as various excursions and activities. Unfortunately, two of these excursions were cancelled at short notice, without any plausible explanation given to me. As a result, I not only lost the costs of the excursions but also missed the opportunity to visit the sights on site.
My concerns primarily lie in not knowing if I can receive compensation for the cancelled excursions. I have already spoken to the local tour operator, but nobody there could give me a clear answer. I feel uncertain and wonder if I have a legal right to compensation.
Therefore, my question to you is: can I receive compensation if my excursions are cancelled on site? Are there any legal regulations or provisions that could help me in this case? What steps should I take to claim compensation?
I thank you in advance for your support and advice.
Yours sincerely,
Hans Köhler
Dear Mr. Köhler,
Thank you for your inquiry regarding the cancelled excursions during your package holiday to Greece. I am sorry to hear that your holiday plans were affected by this and that you had to incur financial losses.
Regarding your question about whether you can receive compensation for the cancelled excursions, I would like to inform you that as a traveler, you generally have the right to receive reasonable compensation if services of your package holiday are not provided. This is stipulated in travel law, particularly in sections § 651a to 651m of the German Civil Code (BGB).
According to § 651n BGB, travelers are entitled to reasonable compensation if agreed travel services are not provided. This also includes the scenario where booked excursions are cancelled on-site without a plausible explanation. In such a case, you are generally entitled to a refund of the costs for the cancelled excursions and potentially a reduction of the travel price.
To assert your right to compensation, I recommend that you first make your claims in writing to the tour operator. Request a refund of the costs for the cancelled excursions and potentially a reduction of the travel price due to the missed services. Set a reasonable deadline for a response from the tour operator.
If the tour operator does not respond to your demands or refuses to pay you reasonable compensation, you may consider taking legal action. In such a case, I recommend seeking legal advice to enforce your claims in court.
I hope this information has been helpful to you. If you have any further questions or need assistance, please feel free to contact me.
Sincerely,
Sophia Breitwieser
Travel Law Attorney
