Government Consultation Summary – April to June 2025
The Department for Business & Trade launched a final consultation on proposed amendments to the 2018 PTRs (Package Travel Regulations) on 7 April 2025, which closed on 30 June 2025. This is a follow‑up to a call for evidence held between September and December 2023, the findings of which have been published and informed current proposals.
Key areas under consideration:
- Exempting certain UK‑only holidays without booked travel elements from the regulations.
- Simplifying or potentially removing LTAs, which currently exist in two confusing types.
- Establishing a time limit for third parties to refund organisers if they’ve failed to refund consumers.
- Clarifying what services fall under regulations and reforming insolvency protection mechanisms.
Linked Travel Arrangements: What's Next
- LTAs—where travellers book separate travel services under distinct contracts—are regarded as confusing and rarely used, and the Government is exploring simplifying or eliminating the category altogether.
- Stakeholders are encouraged to weigh options, such as:
- Removing the LTA concept entirely,
- Retaining but simplifying it,
- Or folding relevant forms into the standard package framework with stronger consumer liability protections (Regulation 15)
What’s Next & What Timeline to Expect
- The consultation has now closed (30 June 2025), and the Government is analysing responses.
- No final decisions or regulatory amendments have yet been released — the outcome document is still pending and will be published later in due course on GOV.UK.
- Parallel reforms are unfolding to the ATOL scheme (flight‑based insolvency protection), ensuring joined‑up thinking between aviation and broader travel rules.
We can expect the Government to publish the outcome of the consultation in due course, likely later in mid‑ to late 2025. The LTA category is high on the reform agenda — simplifying or phasing it out is under active consideration.
