Destination management organization
Destination management organization is a separate term in travel law and is regulated on the basis of the changed EU package travel guidelines .
As an organizational unit under public law, the DMO is either integrated into the communal / municipal administration (directorial operation ) or outsourced as an independent operation (here usually as an association or GmbH ). The DMOs play a multiple role. Frequently travel to lump developed in collaboration with the regional service providers and sold in its own name, but also convey DMO`s Packages its regional operators and hotels . After all, the sale or the brokerage of individual services (e.g. city tours ) or the brokerage of several services play a central role in daily work practice.
Since the new regulations affect the providers of package tours, the travel agents and the agents of individual tourist components as connected travel services (e.g. flight, hotel, etc.), DMOs have to deal with all new obligations and legal terms.
DMO as a tour operator
The DMO itself becomes a tour operator if it sells finished travel packages to customers in its own name or if it provides a service, e.g. B. the overnight stay combined with another independent service component and offered as a package. Package travel law then applies to this product. "As requested, we offer you an overnight stay in a single or double room per person and a visit to the event ... at a price of xx euros."
DMO as an agent for related travel services
In connection with a single contact with the booking office (in person, by telephone or by e-mail), the customer requests the mediation of two services for the purpose of the same trip (e.g. hotel reservation and a guided tour of the city). The DMO confirms both services separately: "If you wish, we will confirm the mediated overnight stay in the hotel (exact name and address) for the price of ... .xx euros." Your contractual partner will be ... (exact name and address) at a price of xx EUR. ”The DMO has thus become an agent for“ related travel services ”.
If the agent arranges the second service, such as the city tour or the concert tickets, on the occasion of a later, further contact with the customer, neither a package tour nor a combined travel service is created, but rather the mediation of two individual services.
New: Security certificate and own insolvency protection of the agent of connected travel services in the event of collection: § 651k Paragraph 3 BGB
What is new is that the brokerage of related travel services requires your own insolvency insurance if payments are received from the customer for the brokered services. If the broker of connected travel services does not want to offer its own insolvency protection, the services may only be paid for in direct collection, i.e. by the customer directly to the service provider. In addition, when arranging related travel services and arranging package tours, the correct information sheets must be handed over to inform him about his rights as a consumer.
Web links
Info sheet travel law - DMO of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Frankfurt am Main.
