majeure” and that the previous appeal court had violated Article L. 211-17 of the Tourism Code, thus breaching established legal principles. Faced with the new opportunity for a fair resolution in 2024, the traveller reinitiated proceedings before the Versailles Court of Appeal, a differently composed court, as per the Cour de cassation’s referral. III. THE STRICT LIABILITY OF TRAVEL AGENCIES (RESPONSABILITÉ DE PLEIN DROIT) The court applied Article L. 211-173 of the French Tourism Code, as it was in effect in 2009. This Article states that “any natural or legal person engaged in the operations mentioned in Article L. 211-1 is strictly liable vis-à-vis the buyer for the proper execution of the obligations resulting from the contract, whether these obligations are performed by itself or by other service providers.” The decision confirmed that the services provided by Kalika Voyages constituted a “package” (forfait toristique) as defined by Article L.211-2, 1° of the Tourism Code, as it combined transport, accommodation, and other significant tourist services, such as golf competitions and airport transfers. Notably, the court reiterated that under this strict liability regime, “it is sufficient for the traveller to prove that a damaging accident occurred during one of the services sold to engage the liability of the travel agency; the victim does not have to prove any fault on the part of the service provider.” This crucial clarification directly addresses the initial trial court’s error. IV. EXONERATING CIRCUMSTANCES AND BURDEN OF PROOF The grounds for exoneration from liability are limited. The travel agency can only be fully or partially exempted from liability if it proves that the nonperformance or poor performance of the contract is attributable to “either the 3 Formerly L. 211-16. “Toute personne physique ou morale qui se livre aux 211-1 est responsable de plein droit à l’égard de l’acheteur de la bonne execution des obligations resultant du contrat, que ce contrat ait été conclu à distance ou non et que ces obli-� gations soient à executer par elle-même ou par d´autres prestataires de services, sans préjudice de son droit de recours contre ceux-ci et dans la limite des dédommagements prévus par les conventions internationales. Toutefois, elle peut s’exonérer de tout ou partie de sa responsabilité en apportant la preuve que l’inexécution ou la mauvaise exécution du contrat est imputable soit à l’acheteur, soit au fait, imprévisible et insurmontable, d’un tiers étranger à la fourniture des prestations prévues au contrat, soit à un cas de force majeure.”. 195 AN UNDETERMINED FALL AT THE AIRPORT
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