Traveller’s right to interrupt the trip

What constitutes exceptional circumstances?

For example, the following situations can constitute exceptional circumstances:

• Continuing the trip as agreed becomes significantly more difficult as a result of a military operation, terrorism, a natural disaster (such as an earthquake or extensive wildfire), a strike or a similar situation occurring at or near the destination. For example, transport connections can be prevented by military action, or essential services (e.g. electricity or water) could become unavailable at the destination due to a natural disaster or strike.
• The trip cannot be continued without risking the traveller’s life or health. For example, there is an unexpected occurrence of a serious infectious disease or serious unrest at the destination, which may endanger the safety of visitors.

When assessing your right to interrupt the trip at no cost for safety reasons, you must demonstrate justified and factual grounds to support your claim, such as unrest or an outbreak of infectious disease at the destination.

• Key to the assessment is what you have justified reason to believe regarding the situation.
• Your assessment may be backed by official travel recommendations. However, they alone will not suffice to entitle you to interrupt your trip at no cost. A later official recommendation or the organiser’s later behaviour may also support your decision to interrupt the trip.

For instance, you can follow the travel recommendations provided by the following parties:

• The Ministry for Foreign Affairs issues country-specific travel safety bulletins, which may recommend, for example, avoiding unnecessary or all travel to or from the area.
• The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare provides information on infectious disease situations around the world and on vaccinations as well as diseases and their prevention and treatment.
• Finnish missions abroad report events that affect travel safety on an occasional or short-term basis.

Which costs am I entitled to reclaim when my trip is interrupted due to exceptional circumstances?

You are not entitled to interrupt the trip at no cost if the exceptional circumstances were known to you or were foreseeable when entering into the contract.

If you interrupt your trip due to exceptional circumstances, you are entitled to a refund for the price of the trip plus other payments that you have made to the travel organiser.

• If the organiser’s performance has benefited the traveller, said benefit will be taken into account when estimating the amount of price reduction, e.g. the realised part of a linked travel arrangement, the meals provided during the trip or admission tickets used by the traveller.
• If the organiser does not assist you with arranging your return trip home, you can take the required measures yourself. You should limit the amount of costs and other damage for which the organiser may be liable.

The organiser is also entitled to interrupt the trip or make other necessary changes to the tour schedule due to exceptional circumstances occurring during the trip. After the trip, the organiser must refund you without delay for the part of the price of the trip corresponding with unrealised services.