Lithuanian parlt adopts 14-day refund period for cancelled travel

VILNIUS – The Seimas of Lithuania has shortened the deadline for travel agencies to refund tourists for cancelled trips to 14 days, from 90 days, in a bid to avoid the European Union’s (EU) sanctions.

The 14-day deadline will come into effect in mid-February. This implies that the tourists who had their trips cancelled due to the pandemic last or this year should get the refund early in March.

Respective amendments to the Civil Code were adopted with 119 votes for and one abstention.

Zydre Gaveliene, the president of Lithuania's National Tourism Business Association, told BNS that the postponement of the deadline’s entry into force until mid-February was very important.

“We hope this period of time will be sufficient for the tourism sector to receive subsidies under the first support scheme and for the second support scheme aimed at the most affected sectors … to be launched,” she said.

Earlier Gaveliene told BNS that some of tour operators had not yet made refunds to customers and put the outstanding amount of refunds at approximately 3 million euros.