Collective Commentary about the New Package Travel Directive

330 COLLECTIVE COMMENTARY ABOUT THE NEW PACKAGE TRAVEL DIRECTIVE the harmonization of the regulatory system, the Italian experience is particularly interesting. The clear differentiation of the roles and responsibilities attributed to the organiser and the retailer of package travel – according to the substantial diversity of the obligations undertaken towards the traveller, along with the detail with which the national legislator has decided to intervene to configure and regulate the travel intermediation contract – represents an important point of reference within the European Union and encourages an in-depth comparison with the regulatory choices made in the other member countries. The intermediate travel contract regulations and the retailer’s liability, found in Section VII “ Retailer’s liability ”, articles 50-51- quater of the Tourism Code 24 , constitute one of the most original features of the new rules on the subject of package travel. The new regulations came into effect on 1 July 2018 and apply to “ package travel contracts ” (art. 33, par. 1, letter d, of the Tourism Code), to “ intermediate travel contract ” (art. 50 of the Tourism Code) and to “ linked travel arrangements ” (art. 49 of the Tourism Code) concluded as of this date. By profoundly reforming the previous travel contract rules, the legislative framework has been updated to the latest developments in the tourism sector, with the aim of adapting it to the reality of commercial traffic, eliminating ambiguity and filling in the regulatory gaps 25 . 24 See I. Malaguti, Sub artt. 50 e 51-quater , e A. Montesano Sub artt. 51-51-ter , in D.lgs. 23 maggio 2011, n. 79, Codice del turismo , cit., pp. 1369 and 1385. 25 See J.M. Bech Serrat, Selling Travel Services at a Distance: An Analysis of the EU Consumer Acquis , Springer, Berlin-Heidelberg, 2012, and S. Keiler – F. Morandi, Package travel and assisted travel arrangements: The proposal for a new directive in light of a possible full harmonisation approach , in Riv. it. Dir. tur. , 2014, p. 5; see also E. Gómez Calle, En torno a una posible revisión del régimen del viaje combinado , in Cámara Lapuente (dir.) y Arroyo Amayuelas (coord.), La revisión de las normas europeas y nacionales de protección de los consumidores , Madrid, Civitas Thomson Reuters, 2012, p. 385; S. Keiler, Der Vorschlag für eine Änderung der Fluggastrechte-VO – Eine Analyse aus wissenschaftlicher Sicht , in RRa (Reiserecht aktuell) , 2013, p. 163; A. Paniza Fullana, Nuevas fórmulas de comercialización on line de servicios turísticos: subsunción en los tipos legales y distribución de responsabilidad , Editorial Comares, Granada, 2013; Proposals for a new Package Travel Directive , in Travel Law Quarterly , 2013, pp. 193-229 (D. Grant, An Introduction , p. 193; S. Mason – M. Gatenby, The Definition of ‘Package’ and ‘Assisted Travel Arrangement’ , p. 196; E. Fuentes, Definitions of ‘Traveller’, ‘Trader’, ‘Organiser’ and ‘Retailer’ , p. 201; J. Kolatsis – A. Losy, Information Obligations and Content of the Package Travel Contract , p. 204; S. Prager, Pre-Departure Changes , p. 210; A. Padfield, Performance of the Package , p. 217; F. Brehany, The Insolvency Provisions , p. 224); M.C. Berenguer Albaladejo, Nuevos horizontes en materia de viajes combinados , in Revista de Derecho Privado , 5/2014, p. 35 ss.; J.D. Camargo Gómez, Contratación electrónica de paquetes dinámicos de turismo en el ordenamiento jurídico español , in Ars Iuris Salmanticensis , 2/2014, p. 95; P. Martínez Espín, Impacto sobre la protección del consumidor de la Propuesta de Directiva del Parlamento Europeo y del Consejo relativa a los viajes combinados y los servicios asistidos de viaje, por la que se modifican el reglamento (CE) n.º 2006/2004 y la Directiva 2011/83/UE y por la que se deroga la directiva 90/314/CEE , in Aranzadi civil-mercantil , 9/2014, pp. 99-123; A. Paniza Fullana (dir.), Paquete dinámicos: problemas y soluciones jurídicas desde una perspectiva internacional , Dykinson, Madrid, 2014; A. Paniza Fullana, La Propuesta de Directiva relativa a los viajes combinados y los servicios asistidos de viaje: ¿El reconocimiento de la nueva realidad? , in Aranzadi civil-mercantil , 4/2014, pp. 51-60.