Protecting Consumer Rights in the Tour Industry: Who Is Responsible?

In 1977, American households took an estimated 312 million trips, of which 18.7 million were package tours. It is estimated that at least $4 billion was spent on these package tours. The growing number of complaints received by Federal agencies attests to the fact that the consumer rights of travelers taking package tours are not adequately protected. A Federal Trade Commission (FTC) investigation of the industry revealed that as many as 800,000 travelers a year may encounter problems with the tour they purchase. In early 1976 the FTC initiated an investigation of the package tour industry. During the investigation, FTC received about 3,000 complaints from travelers. Complaint files of subpoenaed tour operators were also checked.