THE PACKAGE TRAVEL ACT AND THE COVID19 PANDEMIC of travelers were afraid and thus did not want to travel. This was especially the case for many travelers that belonged to risk groups. ARN has in several decisions noted that the traveler must prove that there is a risk for the traveler’s health to cancel a package free of charge. In its information, the Commission also states that a “subjective feeling of fear would not be sufficient”. The industry has claimed that, in order for travelers to have a right to cancel a package without paying a cancellation fee, the traveler must show that the destination was affected by the pandemic during the period in which the trip was to take place. As conditions changed rapidly during this period and restrictions and travel advice were issued, changed or amended with short notice, the industry claimed that it was not possible to determine how the destination was affected until very close to departure. The industry therefore claimed that it was not possible to cancel a package without cancellation fee prior to 14 days before departure. Cancellations that were made earlier, was thus subject to to the companies’ cancellation rules in accordance with the organiser’s ordinary terms and conditions. ARN states in one case that the advice from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs against travel to the northern parts of Italy per se was valid until further notice and thus included the destination at the time of the trip. However, it was, according to ARN, obvious that a travel advice from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that is not limited in time, at some point will cease. It was therefore not considered reasonable that a consumer could cancel a package with a planned departure too far in advance without paying a cancellation fee. As in the event of a cancellation well in advance, it is not possible to say with any great degree of certainty that there will be a valid dissuasion at the time of departure. In the case, the traveler had canceled more than one month before the planned departure. According to ARN, it was too long before departure and the traveler had to pay a cancellation fee. ARN has not taken a position on exactly how long a time that would be considered reasonable, but the Swedish Consumer Agency has claimed that fourteen days is too short a time and that a reasonable time should at least be three weeks before departure. 1.2.5 At what time should the assessment be made? During the period from the end of February until mid-March, the spread of infection increased rapidly around the world and on March 11, the World Health Organisation (WHO) classified Covid19 as a pandemic. This led to a mass cancellation during the first weeks of March of package tours that were to take
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