Damage caused to third parties by aircraft in flight / New rules in France for carriers, hotelkeepers and travel agencies

The Rome Convention 1952 on Damage Caused by Aircraft Updated

Alex Ferrari, London

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Special Group, established to modernise the Rome Convention 1952 has produced two draft conventions; namely the Convention on Compensation for Damage Caused by Aircraft to Third Parties, in the case of unlawful interference (known as the Unlawful Interference Convention), and the Convention on Compensation for Damage Caused by Aircraft to Third Parties (known as the General Risks Convention).

New Rules for France's Travel Industry

Ginette Leclerc, Paris

France is one of the most popular vacation destinations in the world and tourism accounts for 6.4% of its GIP according to the latest government figures. Tourists and business travellers visiting the Hexagon will notice, however, that its tourism infrastructure is wearing thin at the seams. After striving to improve how foreigners are received in France, the government started work on reforming the tourism sector, beginning with a clean-up of institutions and regulations. One of the main goals of this reform is to give those involved in tourism, including travel agents and other travel operators and hotelkeepers, the means of increasing their competitiveness faced with foreign competition.