Collective Commentary about the New Package Travel Directive

A s the Rector of the University of Salamanca, it is an honour to co-present this book on Directive 2015/2302/(EU), of 25 November, Collective Commentary about The New Package Travel Directive , coordinated by Carlos Torres (Professor) Estoril Higher Institute for Tourism and Hotel Studies (ESHTE), Laurence Jégouzo (Paris 1-Panthéon-Sorbonne), Javier Melgosa (University of Salamanca), Vincenzo Franceschelli (University of Milano- Bicocca), Francesco Morandi (University of Sassari) and Francesco Torchia (University of Calabria). In this circumstance, four academic institutions which are located in the three most visited countries in the world (France, Spain and Italy). A joint report by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and the European Commission highlighted the main social and economic benefits of tourism for the 28 countries constituting the European Union (EU). European destinations received 538 million international tourists in 2017, 40% of the world total; and the lodging establishments registered more than 3,000 million overnight stays. Tourism accounted for 6% of total EU exports, while the direct contribution of tourism to individual EU economies reached 11% of GDP. The above data reinforce the importance of this Directive for the tourism industry, especially the one related to tourism commerce (travel agencies, reservation centres, sales portals, etc.), but even more for all consumers who make trips in the European Union. Therefore, it is quite an accomplishment to have specialists from all countries studying a Directive with such an impact on tourism law in all Member States. Directive 2015/2302 aims to contribute to the proper functioning of the internal market and to the achievement of a high level of consumer protection as uniform as possible by approximating certain aspects of the Member States’ laws, regulations and administrative provisions concerning contracts between travellers and business people related to package travel services; and required the Member States to transpose them before 1 st January 2018. In Spain, the transposition was