German court finds in favor of tourists

The couple had booked a China holiday for the summer of 2015. A week before departure, the Dusseldorf-based travel agent informed them that two of the main events in Beijing would be cut owing to a military parade. The couple then cancelled their holiday and demanded a complete refund, on the grounds that omitting a visit to the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square constituted a "significant shortfall" and grounds for cancellation. The court agreed with the couple that this constituted a "significant shortfall."

An earlier lower court ruling went in their favor. It noted that even though the planned visit to the two sites took up only one day of a two-week tour, they were among the Chinese capital's best known locations.

Visits to the two landmarks were included in the contract, and their omission implied a "significant change to the travel service offered," the lower court ruled. But the Dusseldorf travel agent insisted on a cancelation fee amounting to 90 per cent of the original total of 3,298 euros (4,030 dollars).

is/ks (dpa)