industries? Will the UK boldly follow through with its proposed reforms or continue to follow in the shadow of the EU, with UK-based travel operators who also conduct business in the EU (and vice versa) keen to see as unified a system as possible maintained? This article focuses on the UK government’s 2025 consultation and response, and the importance of maintaining consumer protections, notably in relation to the regime imposing liability for lack of conformity on tour operators, which importantly extends to claims for serious personal injury. II. UK PROPOSALS FOR REFORM The UK implemented the last package travel directive through the Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018, which remained in force following Brexit. Reform of the 2018 Regulations has, however, been in the gaze of successive governments, with the Conservatives launching a call for evidence in 2023 and (following its victory in the July 2024 UK general election) the Labour government’s Department for Business and Trade (DBT) issuing a formal consultation, which closed on 30 June 2025. As summarised on the DBT’s website, the UK’s consultation included proposals in relation to: • reforming the domestic package market to exempt domestic (UK) holidays that do not contain a booked travel element from the regulations • reforming linked travel arrangements (LTAs) by either removing or simplifying the definition of LTAs • examining the case for setting a time limit for third parties to provide redress to organisers where the third party has contributed to the event but has not already provided redress directly to the consumer – this is to respond to difficulties some package organisers have in exercising their right to recoup refund monies from suppliers • further technical changes to make clearer what services are within the scope of the regulations, and to reform measures around insolvency protection On 02 December 2025, the DBT published its response to the consultation, with plans to abolish the concept of LTAs, absorbing type A into the definition of a package and removing type B LTAs entirely3. In addition, the UK’s DBT 3 See further below as to the definition of LTAs and for details on the proposed reforms. 3 PACKAGE TRAVEL REFORM AND THE UK
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