More travel providers commit to transparent pricing for package holidays, ACM reports

The Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) announced on Monday that five major travel providers now clearly display the final prices for package holidays. These providers either present a single final price that includes all unavoidable costs or clearly list mandatory costs separately beneath the price.

According to ACM, the consumer is entitled to clear prices so that he can properly compare the different offers and not be confronted with unexpected costs later. “Incorrect prices create an unfair playing field and harm parties that do charge the correct prices,” ACM wrote in the report.

“The general principle of the ACM is that consumers must be able to trust that the first price shown is the price for which a booking can be made. The price, including all unavoidable additional costs, must be clear and visible at a glance,” ACM explained.

In an earlier investigation this year, the Dutch consumer watchdog investigated 12 travel companies regarding these practices. It found that 11 of them did not correctly list mandatory additional costs, and frequently, package tours could not be booked at the initially shown price.

The travel companies were given a deadline until the end of September to align their pricing for holiday packages with ACM’s guiding principles.

ACM reported on Monday that ANWB, Corendon, Expedia, Stip Reizen, and Sunweb have met full compliance. Meanwhile, two other providers have temporarily ceased online travel offerings until their pricing is updated.

ACM continues to investigate the remaining travel companies. Notably, Expedia had already met the requirements for a clear and comprehensive price display in the initial inspection.