Recital (19)

Official statements or recommendations issued by the competent authorities of a Member State advising travellers against travelling to a particular area may, by their nature, have considerable evidential value as to the occurrence, in the countries to which they relate, of unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances and of the consequences thereof for the performance of the package concerned. Such statements or recommendations, or the fact that travellers will be subject to serious restrictions at the travel destination or in the Member State of residence or departure after returning from the trip or holiday, such as quarantine requirements for a significant period, can therefore, along with other factors, be important elements to be taken into account when considering whether the termination of the package travel contract due to unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances is justified. The relevance of specific official statements or recommendations for the termination of the package travel contract at issue should be considered on a case-by-case basis, taking into account, amongst other factors, the nature of the circumstances at issue and the time between the termination of that contract and the scheduled start of the package, and consequently the likelihood of a significant change in those circumstances. However, the existence of such statements or recommendations should not be a condition for establishing the existence of unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances or the effects of such circumstances on the performance of the package.