Court rules €5,373 paid to family holidaymakers over algae on beach

Family wins €5,373 after complaining about algae ruining beach holiday.

A Bilbao court has sentenced a travel agency to pay €5,373 to a family whose holiday was ruined by algae on the resort’s beach.

The judge held the agency accountable for a ‘lack of information’, as the algae affected one of the main tourist attractions of the destination and severely compromised the Spanish family’s holiday.

The beach in Riviera Maya (Mexico) was reported to be ‘full of algae’ at the time, which the travel agency knew about when the family booked their holiday in May 2020.

Although the family claimed €11,000 in compensation, the judge lowered this, as the family could still enjoy other available beaches and facilities.

The resulting successful claim came to 30% of the holiday costs.