Provision of Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements

The EU Package Travel Directive has been implemented in Finland:

• act on Travel Service Combinations (901/2017, under the responsibility of the Ministry of Justice)
• act on Providers of Travel Service Combinations (921/2017, under the responsibility of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment)
• act on Supervision and Insolvency Protection Fees for Providers of Travel Service Combinations (922/2017, under the responsibility of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment)

Travel service combinations refer to package travel and linked travel arrangements. Packages and linked travel arrangements are defined in the Act on Travel Service Combinations.

Providers of travel service combinations must provide security against the provider’s insolvency if travellers are charged beforehand or if transport services are included in the travel arrangements. Service providers will deposit the security at the Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority, which will also approve it. The security must safeguard the refund of payments and the repatriation of travellers. Undertakings may apply for a reduction in the security under certain conditions.

The Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority will enter the undertakings in its register of liable undertakings after it has approved their security.

A liable provider of travel service combinations is obligated to pay the State an annual supervision and insolvency protection fee. The Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority will be responsible for collecting the fees.

• Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority: Travel organisers