The regulations are part of a range of measures, including changes to the Atol scheme, drafted to implement the EU’s Package Travel Directive (PTD) on July 1.

The PTD was unveiled in December 2015 and EU member states were nominally given until January 2018 to transpose it into law, a deadline the UK government missed.

Publication on Tuesday (April 17) gives the industry less than 10 weeks to make the necessary changes to be compliant with the new PTD.

Lindsay Ingram, chairman of the Association of Atol Companies, speaking at its AGM on Monday (April 16), said “very few” agents and operators would be ready.

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) said the new PTR would significantly increase consumer protection.

BEIS said existing high street protection would extend to millions of extra holidays, especially those booked online.

Agents and operators will also be required to provide more information to travellers when they book, including their rights to a refund.

You can access the new PTR here.