Top EU court rules vacationers whose holiday was ruined by coronavirus can get refund

BRUSSELS

The top EU court ruled Thursday that travelers can get a discount because of measures and restrictions imposed due to the coronavirus when they purchased a holiday package.

The European Court of Justice ruled against a tour company selling holiday packages in Germany in 2020 and said travelers whose holidays were affected by virus measures are eligible for a discount.

"A traveler is entitled to a reduction in the price of his or her package where a lack of conformity of the travel services included in the package is due to restrictions that have been imposed at the travel destination to fight the spread of an infectious disease, such as Covid-19," it said.

Two people in Germany purchased a two-week vacation package from the company that started March 13, 2020, on the Canary Islands in Spain.

On the second day of their vacation, strict virus measures were implemented on the island and the vacationers could not benefit from the hotel’s facilities because they could only leave their rooms for food.

The tour ended earlier than planned on March 20, and the vacationers returned to Germany.

The two in question demanded a 70% discount on the package price from the tour operator on grounds that their vacation was short and they could not benefit from the hotel's facilities.

The company did not accept discounts and refunds.

The vacationers also initiated a legal process in Germany regarding the issue and the German court sent the file to the European Court of Justice.