CMA ‘starts to enforce’ pricing rules Ian Taylor
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has confirmed it is “doing enforcement work” on travel industry compliance with guidance on transparent pricing issued last November. Consumer law director Jason
Freeman noted the CMA had sent “about 100 advisory letters” to businesses, including travel companies, in November and said: “We expected people to be fully compliant by February and February has passed. So, if you’re not compliant, I would reflect on that if I were you.” Speaking at the Abta Travel Law
Seminar in London on Tuesday, Freeman warned: “If you received
a letter and you’re not compliant, that would be an aggravating factor and increase any penalty.” He highlighted the CMA’s new
enforcement powers under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 (DMCC Act) and said: “We’re doing enforcement work in this area. We’ve launched direct enforcement action.” Freeman added: “That doesn’t
mean we’re going to take enforcement action against everyone.” He cited the CMA’s recent
enforcement action against the AA, which was fined £4.2 million for not including a mandatory £3 booking fee in a total price for driving lessons, and said: “A number of other cases are progressing.”
Greek authorities outline policy on EES for UK arrivals
Ian Taylor
Greek government policy towards excluding UK passport holders from the biometric registration requirements of the EU’s Entry/ Exit System this summer was partially clarified this week by statements by the country’s tourism minister and interior ministry. Tourism minister Olga
Kefalogianni told the BBC: “What we’re doing is not actually an exemption [for UK passport holders]. It’s just that we have made sure we facilitate the procedure in a way that means visitors are not burdened.” She said Greece was ensuring
4 14 MAY 2026
checks at the border take “less than a couple of minutes”. A Greek interior ministry
statement “in response to press reports on the EES in Greece” said the Greek authorities “are taking all necessary measures to ensure the smooth flow of visitors at the country’s border points, making use of the possibilities provided by EU legislation. “In this context, the possibility
during the first quarter of full operation of the EES to suspend the process of obtaining biometric data for limited periods and at a specific crossing point, when this is deemed necessary to restore the smooth flow of travellers, is highlighted.”
We expected
people to be fully compliant by February. So, if you’re not, I would reflect on that
Freeman argued the DMCC Act
and the CMA guidance were devised “to be immune from any loopholes” and said: “They’re triggered when you give any pricing information. Have you given the total price including any charges the consumer will incur?” He pointed out mandatory local
charges “can be expensive” and said: “We’ll be looking at enforcement on resort fees as they can be significant.
But even if they’re small, they have to be included in the price.” He added: “Rates change, but
you still have to give the total price.” Travel lawyer Rhys Griffiths,
partner at Fox Williams, said “the fundamental effect” of the CMA’s new powers “has been to change who holds the cards between a business and the CMA”. He added: “Under the old
regime, a CMA letter would come in, there would be a bit of back and forth and you would come to an agreement. In this new world, the CMA is in the driving seat.” Griffiths noted 19 travel firms
were among the 100 businesses to receive CMA letters last November and said: “That tells you something.”
Santorini Airport
This would imply, since the system
came into full operation on April 10, that the suspensions “for limited periods” could end in July after “the first quarter of full operation”. However, an EC spokesperson
noted “the EES rules allow a partial suspension of EES operations in case of excessive waiting times” and told Travel Weekly: “This possibility exists until September, covering the peak summer travel period [and] the EC encourages member states to make use of these flexibilities.” Yet the spokesperson also
insisted: “The suspension of collection of biometric data is possible at specific border crossing
points for a limited amount of time in exceptional circumstances [and] the legal framework does not foresee blanket exemptions for nationals of specific third countries.” Abta director of public affairs
Luke Petherbridge said there “continues to be a mixed picture” on EES “although we believe there have been some improvements, with more use of measures to pause biometric checks at busy periods”. He said: “It’s clear the system
isn’t yet fully operational across all participating countries. We continue to engage with the EC, UK government and destinations on what is needed to make the process smoother.”
travelweekly.co.uk
PICTURE: Shutterstock/Symeonidis Dimitrios
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