Now that Golden October lives up to its name and most people are no longer on vacation but back in their familiar working environment, it’s time to ask yourself: Was it worth it? Did your vacation bring you anything? At least that’s what the health insurance company DAK wanted to know and therefore had a representative survey carried out.
And lo and behold: 82 percent of those surveyed said they had recovered well or even very well during their summer vacation. If that’s not good news. Eight out of ten! In a country that is not exactly known for its no-nag zones. Of those who felt well rested, more than 80 percent said it was because of the sun and nature experiences; for 70 percent, it was the time with the family that was crucial.
Nice.
But, of course, those 18 percent who didn’t feel recovered or didn’t feel recovered at all also had their reasons for doing so. Many say they were unable to switch off; one in three cited the bad weather as an “impediment to their recovery”. Does this also include the “excessive heat,” which 20 percent of those who had difficulty recovering reported?
In any case, the weather leads us to a case that has now been decided before the Frankfurt Higher Regional Court (ref.: 16 U 54/23). With their lawsuit, a couple wanted 6,000 euros back from the travel price, which had amounted to more than 18,000 euros. The trip went to Ecuador, and the reason given by the two for the requested reduction was, among other things, that the crater lake, touted as “gorgeously beautiful”, could not be seen due to fog. Heavy rain also prevented the view of the landscape and promised animal diversity in the Amazon.
The judges now decided that the tour operator did not have to be liable for “the weather conditions and climatic conditions prevailing in the destination area”. Even with a quick internet search you can find out that the Andean highlands and the Amazon basin are considered to have a lot of rain in the month of travel.
Anyone who wants money back cannot rely on the weather, which is only right and proper. Otherwise, someone else could end up coming, say an American vacationer who chose November for his Neuschwanstein Germany trip because of the mythical fog and the guaranteed bad weather. And then the sun shines and it’s 20 degrees, like so often in recent years, and he could demand his money back. Where would we get there?
Hans Gasser was once on the Lofoten Islands, but didn’t see anything because of the thick clouds.
(Photo: Bernd Schifferdecker (illustration))