When desired vacation and summer holidays approach: whether you are students who will soon have as many as 3 months of holidays, whether you are employed now and do the countdown for your 15/20 day awaited holidays, all devoted largely searching for the best proposals and bids are immense, national and international tourists, chasing the super special offers. But beware, the figures released by an international tourism survey are alarming: there are more than 30,000 requests and reports for 2008 of inefficiencies, fraud, cancellation of flights, as well as very worrying for all those who were strongly disappointed by the classics ” last minute “, over 33% of holidaymakers.But how to defend themselves, and especially what to do in practice to enforce their rights as consumers and travelers? Often, when you run into these experiences, which in some cases can become almost dramatic (dramatic was the case last year when some tourists in Rome waited more than 36 hours to leave for the holidays), vacation, holidays and periods of necessary physical and mental rest, could be real nightmares. In many cases, once back home, trying to forget as quickly as possible the bad experience, without requiring rights and claim refunds or compensations for damages suffered.But the law and rules relating tourism business for some years are definitely on our side, they gives the possibility not only to obtain compensation for canceled flights or trains, hotels and services without falling below the declared characteristics, routes not met. Indeed also provide in some cases, civil and criminal proceedings ending in compensation for moral and existential damages.First, we can refer to the Consumer Code, which in specific articles regulate direct purchases in the agency, relate on vacation packages and on internet, then there is the European Regulation 261, which regulates all aspects of reservations ghost and disputes between tourists and hotel or other accommodation.Of course, the best way is that of ‘agreement or arrangement directly with the tour operator: the airlines for example, if you accept an agreement proposed, you may get a refund so quickly, simply by submitting the complaint directly in the airport. Many Chambers of Commerce, however, have agreed to set up offices dedicated exclusively to the contentious nature of tourism, but here the results are often poor.If, however, want to go through and also claim your rights in court, in some cases, you start to see rulings that recognize the moral and existential damage to the tourist: sure, the biblical time of the justice in some cases are known, so do not expect results verdicts in the next day.Beware then, before you let yourself be enchanted by the numerous and attractive offers on the internet or in agency: it is better to wait a few days and spend a few dollars more, but to have guarantees and reliable information.