Warning from the Ministry of Trade to holiday bookers

The Ministry of Trade has reminded citizens planning summer holidays of the points they should pay attention to regarding hotels and package tours.

In the statement made by the Ministry, it was noted that with the arrival of summer months, there are certain issues that consumers trying to make a choice among the intense advertising and promotional activities carried out by organizations operating in the tourism sector should pay attention to.

Pointing out that citizens should question the accuracy of facility images, corporate logos, and signs included in holiday offers received through communication channels such as social media, text messages, or e-mail, the statement said, "Before making a purchasing decision, it should be checked whether the preferred travel agency or tourism facility is registered with the relevant public institutions and organizations. In this context, consumers can query whether travel agencies and tourism facilities are certified and how many stars tourism facilities have at 'www.kulturturizm.gov.tr' and 'www.tursab.org.tr' addresses. Especially in contracts signed remotely, it should be checked whether the address, title, and contact information are included on the websites of the travel agency or tourism facility, and also whether the websites are registered in the Electronic Commerce Information System (ETBİS). Instead of purchasing via social media, the travel agencies' own websites should be preferred, and attention should be paid to these issues during the payment stage."

RIGHT TO TERMINATE THE CONTRACT

In the statement, it was stated that consumers may not be able to participate in the package tours they planned in advance due to some problems experienced in the normal flow of life, and the following assessment was made:

"In such cases, consumers have the right to terminate the package tour contract. Provided that the consumer notifies in writing or via a permanent data storage device at least 30 days before the start of the package tour, they have the right to terminate the package tour contract and receive a refund of the package tour price without any deduction, excluding legal obligations such as mandatory taxes. If the termination notice is made less than 30 days before the start of the package tour, a deduction can be made at a certain amount or rate, provided that it is specified in the package tour contract."

The statement pointed out that, without prejudice to the provisions of the Law on Travel Agencies and the Association of Travel Agencies regarding mandatory insurance, the package tour organizer is responsible for all kinds of damages suffered by the consumer due to the contract not being performed at all or as required.

"MEDIATOR MUST BE APPLIED TO FIRST"

Pointing out that the consumer can also demand appropriate compensation for wasted holiday time, the statement said, "In addition, it is considered that the optional insurance practice offered to consumers by various travel agencies, which allows for the cancellation of package tour or hotel accommodation reservations without paying a penalty, is to the benefit of our consumers."

Reminding that consumer arbitration committees and consumer courts are authorized in the resolution of individual consumer disputes, the statement noted the following:

"In cases where consumers are aggrieved due to company practices and the defective or incomplete performance of the contract, they can apply to the consumer arbitration committee for disputes with a value below 104 thousand liras for 2024, and to the consumer court for disputes above this amount. As a condition of litigation, it is required to apply to a mediator before filing a lawsuit in consumer courts."