A German tourist has successfully sued his tour operator and secured an increased refund of £852.89 after his family struggled to find sun loungers at a Greek holiday resort in 2024. The man claimed he had to wake up at 6am every day to try to secure loungers for his family of four, and his children were often forced to sit or lie on the floor due to the lack of available seating.
Court Ruling on Tour Operator Responsibility
Judges at the district court in Hanover ruled that while the travel company did not directly manage the hotel, it was responsible for ensuring a system was in place to provide a reasonable number of loungers for guests. The court found that the tour operator had failed to enforce the resort's ban on reserving loungers with towels, rendering the package holiday defective.
Impact on Holiday Experience
The tourist argued that the inability to access sun loungers significantly diminished the quality of the holiday. His legal team highlighted that the constant early morning routine and the discomfort of his children were unacceptable for a paid package holiday. The court agreed, ordering the tour operator to compensate the family for the inconvenience.
Broader Context of Sunbed Wars
This case underscores the ongoing problem of sunbed reservation practices across European holiday resorts, often referred to as sunbed wars. Similar disputes have been reported in popular destinations such as Salou and Calpe in Spain, where some resorts have introduced fines or other measures to prevent guests from reserving loungers with towels. The ruling may set a precedent for future claims against tour operators who fail to manage such issues effectively.
The German tourist's success in court serves as a reminder to holidaymakers that they have rights when their experience is compromised by inadequate resort management. It also puts pressure on tour operators to ensure their partner hotels enforce policies that guarantee fair access to amenities for all guests.
