It’s burning in Europe. Drought and heat wave cause large forest fires in the holiday regions. You can read here when you can withdraw from vacation.
Athens – Whether Portugal, France or Italy: In Europe, the large forest fires continue. But what does that mean for vacation? A resignation out of fear does not lead to a reimbursement of the travel costs paid, as the consumer advice center emphasizes.
The persistent drought and the current high temperatures in western and southern Europe present the firefighters with a “Herculean task”, as quoted by the AFP from circles of the emergency services. This summer, fires in the affected states have already destroyed several thousand hectares of forest and natural areas. In Italy, even holidaymakers recently had to flee into the sea to avoid the flames.
Europe on fire: holiday regions such as Italy, France and Co. are affected
It is not only burning in Italy at the moment, the flames are also raging in other holiday countries in Europe. These countries are currently acutely affected:
- France: Since Tuesday (July 12), several hectares of forest have burned in the south-west French department of Gironde alone. In this region, tens of thousands of residents and vacationers had to be evacuated.
- Italy: The holiday destination, which is particularly popular with people from Germany, is fighting the worst drought since the Second World War this summer. The drought emergency has already been declared in five regions. Drinking water is rationed in some regions.
- Spain: Several fires are currently out of control in this country (as of July 17). So far, the fires have destroyed thousands of hectares of forest. Several hundred people died as a result of the intense heat on site.
- Portugal: 15,000 hectares of forest and scrubland have already been destroyed since the heat wave began. The fire disaster in Portugal has already claimed lives and injured several people.
- Greece: On the island of Crete alone, some villages recently had to be evacuated. Here, too, several thousand hectares of forest have already been destroyed.
- Source: AFP/Foreign Office/Status: July 18
The current situation is dramatic in many countries and demands a lot from the emergency services and people on site. In order to withdraw from a trip, the conditions are not given in every affected holiday region. When can I withdraw from a trip to the hot spots of Europe?
Forest fires on vacation: These reasons make a refund possible
The keyword for a refund is “unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances”, as the consumer advice center reveals. In addition, “the journey must be significantly affected”. While “territorial riots” are not among these circumstances, wildfires are. “Anyone who declares their resignation out of fear cannot invoke extraordinary circumstances,” warns the consumer advice center .
Important to know:
The “unavoidable and extraordinary reasons” must be present during the travel period. Anyone who has booked early should therefore not withdraw from the contract directly if there is still the possibility that the reasons for this could be eliminated before the start of the journey.
Source: Consumer Center
If “unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances” exist, the holiday or trip can be canceled before the start of the trip. The price should then be refunded after 14 days at the latest, as the consumer advice center writes. The trip can also be canceled by the organizer before the start if the forest fires in the regions are extremely raging. In Italy, for example, there is also an extra app that informs holidaymakers about disaster days. The Italian embassy in Berlin announced that you can find out before you travel whether there is a fire in your area. According to lawyer Karolin Sauer, the “unavoidable and extraordinary reasons” that are important when canceling package tours only exist if the forest fires are in the holiday resort itself or in the immediate vicinity, as she told WDR .
Drought in Europe: Fires break out quickly – What to do when you’re already on vacation?
Forest fires can often break out quickly and suddenly as a result of drought and heat. But what to do if this happens during vacation or travel? According to the consumer advice center, travelers have two options here.
- 1st option: You can start your journey home on your own. Here you have the option of requesting a refund for the unused travel time. You are only entitled to a return trip from the organizer if this is also included in the original contract.
- 2nd option: You remain on site. In this case, parts of the trip that can no longer be taken to the agreed extent may result in a reduction in the travel price and a refund may be required. The travel defect must be reported immediately to the organizer.
- Source: Consumer Center
If the organizer proposes a rebooking instead of a cancellation, this does not have to be accepted. However, the definition of “unavoidable and exceptional circumstances” can be difficult, so the experts at the consumer advice center advise discussing the possible options with the organizer in any case. In the case of package tours, travel cancellation insurance is not mandatory if “unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances” exist.
Evacuations in Europe due to forest fires – Thousands of people affected in France
Evacuations have already taken place in some of the affected regions in Europe, Euronews reports. In France, several thousand people had to leave their homes and shelters because of forest fires. In the event of such an evacuation, there are “unavoidable and extraordinary reasons” that justify the trip being canceled.
Unlike a package tour, there is no entitlement to a refund for an individual trip. The reason for this is that the holiday does not fall under the “package travel regulations”, the lawyer Karolin Sauer made clear to the WDR . There is also a risk of forest fires in Germany. In some cases there have already been larger fires, which is why the fire brigades are already preparing for further forest fires. (lm)
