I was injured during a package holiday.

What the Law Says

The Package Holidays and Travel Trade Act 1995 gives legal protection to consumers who book package holidays in Ireland. Section 20 is central to claims for injury — it places strict liability on the tour operator for harm caused by failures in the performance of the holiday contract.

Under this law, a 'package holiday' means a combination of at least two of the following: transport, accommodation, or other tourist services, sold or offered for sale at an inclusive price and covering a period of more than 24 hours or including overnight accommodation.

Section 20 makes the tour operator — the business that put together and sold the package — legally responsible for any injury you suffer during the holiday if it results from their failure to perform the contract properly or from a breach of statutory duty.

This responsibility applies even if the tour operator did not directly cause the problem — for example, if a hotel owned by someone else failed to maintain safe premises, the Irish tour operator is still liable.

Statutory Text

Where a person suffers damage as a result of the failure of a tour operator to perform or properly perform a contract for a package holiday, the tour operator shall be liable for such damage.

— Package Holidays and Travel Trade Act 1995, s. 20 — Liability of tour operator

What to Do

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