March 5, 2025, 6:53 a.m. | Reading time: 3 minutes
Heavy rain on the Canary Islands - and no end in sight. In Gran Canaria there have already been floods and landslides in the interior of the island. What now applies in terms of travel law?
On the Canary Islands of Gran Canaria, a storm with heavy rain led to floods and landslides, particularly in the east of the island. The Spanish State Meteorological Office (AEMET) is warning of heavy to very heavy persistent rainfall on the Canary Islands, but also in Andalusia, until Thursday (March 6th).
Travelers should follow the forecasts on Aemet.es, which will be updated continuously.
Storms in the Canary Islands – find out more and contact the organizer
Package travelers traveling in regions affected by extreme weather can contact their tour operator. This will provide information about the current situation and help, for example if changes to the travel plan may be necessary.
Travelers who are about to travel to Gran Canaria or the neighboring Canary Islands should also find out from the responsible tour operator to find out to what extent the storm situation will affect the airport or the holiday region they have booked, advises lawyer Paul Degott, who specializes in travel law.
Don't withdraw from the package holiday too quickly
However, canceling your trip is not always possible without further ado if you do not want to risk expensive cancellation fees. According to the travel lawyer, the decision must be made as to whether the booked stay was affected by the storm to such an extent that it could no longer be carried out as a vacation and whether the hotel services promised by the tour operator were no longer guaranteed. The situation on site must remain “correspondingly dramatic”. The law speaks of “unavoidable, extraordinary circumstances”.
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If in doubt, negotiate and check rebooking options
If in doubt, it might make more sense to negotiate with the tour operator, for example about whether rebooking options are offered, advises Degott. However, these should not lead to additional costs for the traveler “if the value of the travel program remains unchanged”.
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The motto of not backing out too quickly is especially true if the trip isn't scheduled for a few weeks or even months. It is better to stay in touch with the organizer to make sure whether the trip can be carried out as planned or not. You can still pull the “emergency brake” when the travel date gets closer, says lawyer Degott.
Individual travelers have a harder time
Individual travelers do not enjoy the extensive protection of package travel law. Your rights arise from the contract you have concluded with the airline, hotel or rental car company, explains Degott.
If individual travelers do not take a flight, they will at least receive a refund of taxes and fees on non-cancellable flight tickets. The full ticket price will only be refunded if the airline cancels the flight.
Always annoying when traveling individually: If you can't get to your accommodation because your flight is canceled due to extreme weather, you usually still have to pay the price unless the provider is accommodating.
With material from dpa
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