operators’ liability dominated travel law specialist’s annual forum. Ian Taylor reports


‘Consumer media’s Brexit nonsense hit travel sales’


Uncertainty about Brexit, fuelled by “lots of nonsense” in the consumer media, has affected holiday bookings.


Consumer travel journalist Simon Calder told the Travlaw Big Tent Event: “The Sunday Times ran a story saying ‘Don’t book a holiday after March 29’. There was absolutely no substance to it. It was complete nonsense. So long as you book a package holiday, there is nothing to worry about. “There is lots of nonsense, but


the reason is there is this vacuum about what is going to happen. People don’t even know if their passports will be valid. “A reporter contacted seven


travel insurance companies to ask, ‘If I book a holiday, will I be covered in the event of a no-deal Brexit?’ Two companies said ‘you’re not covered’, four said ‘we don’t know’ and one said ‘you’ll be fine’. It isn’t great to get that level of divergence.” Calder said: “Hands up anybody


who knows what’s going to happen. Passports, we do know a bit about; they are going to turn the same colour as North Korea’s. “Ehic cards [European Health Insurance], nobody has a clue.


“There is a vacuum [of knowledge]. People don’t even know if their passports will be valid”


Your driving licence will stop being an EU driving licence and you’re going to have to get not one but two international driving permits. “All sorts of things could happen.


Portugal came out and said, ‘British people, we know you’re upset but you can still come to Portugal and we’ll give you free medical treatment and have a special lane for UK visitors,’ which is great.”


PANELLISTS: Journalist Simon Calder; Farina Azam (centre), Travlaw; and Lucia Rowe, A-Rosa River Cruises


Panellists at odds over lasting effects of terror incidents


Lucia Rowe, A-Rosa River Cruises’ managing director for the UK and Ireland, said: “We’re a German company not only operating from the UK but increasing capacity and setting up offices here. We believe we have a wonderful opportunity. However, we would prefer Britain not to go or for Brexit to happen in an orderly manner.” She added: “There have been very


negative reports in Germany, where the media is normally restrained. Our bookings were affected. The media definitely has an impact.” Travlaw partner Farina Azam


said: “There is a lot of uncertainty, but I have complete confidence the industry will come through.”


ROWE: ‘Our industry is being hit much less by recent events’


Tui should fight claim for Sousse damages, says lawyer


Tui should fight legal action it faces over the massacre of 30 customers who were among the 38 victims of the terror attack in Tunisia in 2015, an industry lawyer has suggested. Travlaw partner Farina Azam


noted the case relating to the attack on a beach near Sousse has “far- reaching” implications but “could potentially be cheaper to settle”.


A group of more than 80 people is seeking damages in a case brought by law firm Irwin Mitchell alleging that security at the Imperial Marhaba Hotel and information provided by Tui were inadequate. Azam said: “The issue is


whether Tui is liable for sending holidaymakers to Tunisia when


there was terrorist activity. There had been a terrorist attack two months earlier [in Tunis] and one two years before.” But she said: “The Foreign Office


[FCO] did not advise travellers not to go to Tunisia, and most tour operators rely on FCO advice. If Tui is found liable, it is going to mean you can’t follow FCO advice.”


She added: “After the inquest, one of the main suggestions [by the coroner] was to put more emphasis on FCO advice. “From an industry perspective,


I think it would be beneficial for Tui to fight the claim because the implications could be far-reaching; however, I appreciate it’s much more complicated than that for Tui.”


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Travellers “are still overly sensitised to terrorism”, according to travel journalist Simon Calder, who told the Travlaw event: “It’s understandable, given the appalling tragedies we’ve seen.” However, A-Rosa UK and Ireland managing director Lucia Rowe disagreed, saying: “Our industry is being hit much less by recent events, as horrible as it may sound.” Rowe noted river cruising was hit “quite horribly” after the Paris terror attacks of November 2015. But she said: “We had the attack in Strasbourg in December [2018] and within 48 hours the booking situation was normal.” She said low water levels in


Europe’s rivers at the end of last year had caused more of a problem for the river cruising sector.


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