Background information

Following the introduction of the tourist voucher, see case PL-2020-30/1030 during the summer holiday of 2020, the government reviewed the instrument in the context of recurring lockdowns. In the conclusion, the government has decided to step forward with a proposal to correct the current regulation in favour of voucher-holders. The original regulation made it possible - within 180 days from the date on which the traveller withdraws from the contract for participation in a tourist event or from the date on which the tour operator terminates the contract, directly due to the outbreak of COVID-19 - to offer the traveller a voucher for the execution of the tourist event. The voucher would be valid for a year.

Content of measure

The draft regulation foresees extension of validity of the voucher accepted by the tourist, from the original one year to two years. As the government argues, the new solution is supposed to be very practical, because it will allow, on the one hand, the tourist to attend the originally planned and booked event later, when it is safe to do so from a public health perspective, and on the other hand, it will allow tour operators to settle accounts with travelers without cash involved. So the aim of the draft is to secure the interests of consumers in a more efficient way without increasing the risk borne by tourist operators, who were envisaged as the main beneficiaries of the tourism voucher.

Use of measure

The new instrument has not been activated yet.

Target groups

Workers	Businesses	Citizens
Does not apply to workers	Sector specific set of companies	Applies to all citizens

Actors and funding

Actors	Funding
National government	National funds

Social partners

Social partners' role in designing the measure and form of involvement:

	Trade unions	Employers' organisations
Role	No involvement	No involvement
Form	Not applicable	Not applicable

Social partners' role in the implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:

• No involvement
• Main level of involvement: N/A

Involvement

No engagement on the part of social partners.

Views and reactions

No views of social partners registered.

Sectors and occupations

This case is not occupation-specific.

Sources

• 01 April 2020: The Act of 31 March 2020 amending the Act on Special Measures regarding Prevention, Counteraction and Combating COVID-19 Other Contagious Diseases and Crisis Situations Related (Ustawa z dnia 31 marca 2020 r. o zmianie ustawy o szczególnych rozwiązaniach związanych z zapobieganiem, przeciwdziałaniem i zwalczaniem COVID-19, innych chorób zakaźnych oraz wywołanych nimi sytuacji kryzysowych oraz niektórych innych ustaw (dziennikustaw.gov.pl)
• 22 March 2021: Draft Act on amending the Act on special solutions for preventing, counteracting and combating COVID-19, other infectious diseases and crisis situations caused by them (Projekt ustawy o zmianie ustawy o szczególnych rozwiązaniach związanych z zapobieganiem, przeciwdziałaniem i zwalczaniem COVID-19, innych chorób zakaźnych oraz wywołanych nimi sytuacji kryzysowych) (archiwum.bip.kprm.gov.pl)