Collective Commentary about the New Package Travel Directive

ITALY | FRANCESCO MORANDI 911 Once the reference to the contracts concluded in the State territory to cover a broader range of particular cases has been eliminated, it becomes clear that the current regulation also includes customized 24 and tailormade packages 25 , online contracts and so-called dynamic packages, as well as services purchased from separate professionals through associated online booking processes (affiliates or dynamic click-through packages) 26 . As in the past, despite the term only appearing once in Recital 17, it is common ground that even the “cruise contract” constitutes a typical hypothesis of a package travel contract, characterized by the particular type of travel services offered by the organizing ferry company 27 . In addition to simple excursions, the so-called “business travel” contracts, which result from a general agreement for the organization of travel of a professional nature concluded between a professional and another natural or legal person acting in the context of their commercial, business, craft or professional activity, are considered excluded if the package travel is the result of a combination by a single professional or through the purchase of at least two different types of travel services for the same trip or holiday, by separate suppliers under the conditions indicated by the law 28 . 24 The EU Court of Justice, 21 March 2002, in Case C-400/00, Club-Tour , clarifies that the term “package” used in Council Directive 90/314/EEC of 13 June 1990 on package travel, package holidays and package tours, must be interpreted so as to include holidays organised by travel agents, at the request of and in accordance with the specifications of a consumer or limited group of consumers, and that the term “pre-organised combination used in Article 2(1) of Directive 90/314 must be interpreted so as to include combinations of tourist services put together at the time when the contract is concluded between the travel agency and the consumer. 25 See A. Venchiarutti, La tutela del turista nei “viaggi su misura” , in P. Cendon (ed.), Persona e danno , IV, Giuffrè, Milano, 2004, p. 3757; see also R. Conti, Corte di giustizia, danno da vacanza rovinata e viaggi “su misura”. Ancora due vittorie per i consumatori , in Corr. giur ., 2002, p. 1002. 26 With reference to the scope of the new rules see A. Finessi, La responsabilità del professionista nella nuova disciplina dei contratti di viaggio , cit., p. 1308. 27 In addition to the contributions already mentioned regarding the package travel contract see S. Pollastrelli, Il problema della responsabilità nel viaggio marittimo-aeronautico turistico , EUT, Trieste, 2000, p. 56; D. Pippia, La crociera turistica , in F. Morandi (ed.), I nuovi contratti nella prassi civile e commerciale , XVII, Trasporto , Utet, Torino, 2004, p. 257; M. Brignardello, Contratto di crociera e tutela del turista , in Dir. tur. , 2005, p. 130; A. Santuari, Le condizioni generali nel contratto di trasporto marittimo di persone e di crociera turistica, tra vessatorietà ed esigenze di tutela del turista-viaggiatore , in Dir. trasp. , 2006, p. 95; Id., Il contratto di trasporto di persone marittimo e per acque interne , Università di Trento, Trento, 2007, p. 79; S. Pollastrelli, Il contratto di trasporto marittimo di persone , Giuffrè, Milano, 2008, p. 269; D. Bocchese, La crociera turistica , in F. Morandi (ed.), I contratti del trasporto , vol. I, Zanichelli, Bologna, 2013, p. 491; F. Morandi, Natura e disciplina del contratto di crociera turistica , in A. Antonini (ed.), Trattato breve di diritto marittimo , IV, Giuffrè, Milano, 2013, p. 25; G. Benelli, Le crociere con unità da diporto , in M.M. Comenale Pinto – E.G. Rosafio (eds.), Il diporto come fenomeno diffuso. Problemi e prospettive del diritto della navigazione , Aracne, Roma, 2015, p. 523; see also the traditionals E. Spasiano, Crociera (contratto di) , in Enc. dir ., Giuffrè, Milano, 1962, p. 401, and D. Amore, Crociera (contratto di) , in Noviss. Dig. it ., V, UTET, Torino, 1960, p. 20. 28 For some critical remarks on the notion of “travel services” see S. Keiler – F. Morandi, Package travel and assisted travel arrangements , cit., p. 7; Id., The Directive on package travel and linked travel arrangements , cit., p. 404.