Coronavirus The rebellion of the hoteliers against the Government reaches the Justice: "We are all, from the great ones to those who have a chicken rotisserie"
Two of the sectors most affected by the pandemic and the restrictions that it entailed, the hospitality industry and tourism, have taken similar measures to ask the Government for help after a year that, in thousands of cases, has led to the disappearance of companies.
Thus, while hoteliers demand 65 million euros from the Executive, travel agencies clung to a non-law proposal to be rescued with direct aid and VAT reduction.
Congress has rejected it.
In your case the sit
The situation will be even more serious when the bonds issued in April and May of last year begin to expire, when we were still facing a first wave that turned out to be a tidal wave.
Agencies will have to return money to clients that they have not recovered from their suppliers, putting agencies in a "dramatic" situation, in the opinion of
Marti Sarrate
, President of the Corporate Association of Specialized Travel Agencies (ACAVe).
How do you assess the decision to reject NLP to rescue agencies?
It's very pitiful.
Within the value chain of tourist services, agencies are the ones who are suffering the most.
We have had a 90% reduction in turnover in 2020.
There is a lack of unity in the EU and I believe that Spain would have to lead the initiative, as it is the first tourist country in the European Union and the second in the world.
Countries like Greece or Italy are overtaking us.
I think we have little political weight.
Besides, despite the fact that tourism is extremely important for Spain's GDP, the Minister [Reyes Maroto] has little political weight within the Government.
Therefore, all the initiatives and all the requests that we are requesting do not come to fruition.
For example, NLP.
We talked to certain parties and we ended up saying "stop ideologies, what is important is that you unify criteria because the situation is dramatic."
If there are no changes, what will happen to the agencies in the coming months?
In principle there is not enough bellows because the only government aid has been the ERTE.
The other measure that has come is that certain agencies have obtained ICO credits that the Government is going to extend.
You have no choice because no one will be able to pay when due in March.
Some autonomies have given small grants for the self-employed, SMEs and micro-SMEs, but this is not enough.
What does the sector need?
What you have to do is rescue him.
This depends on the central government.
It is not worth talking about the funds of the European Union, that everyone's mouth is filled with them and they will be to digitize and for sustainability.
There will be an audit controlling that they are not spread in projects that are not directed to this strategy.
They have to give non-refundable aid because if it does not turn against the State: there will be much more unemployment, less contributions to Social Security, many companies will close ... If they do not rescue we will face this problem.
The word is rescue.
Should the government take action when the bonds expire?
It has no other solution.
Those bonds were allowed to be given last year, they expire in June and cannot be extended.
They will expire and the consumer will come, because they will not change or postpone their trip.
We are required by law to reimburse you, generating negative cash.
Without 90% of our turnover this is impossible.
Suppliers must be required - especially companies that depend on the Ministry of Transportation, which is completely passive - to reimburse within 14 days.
It is not acting.
That is misappropriation - that money belongs to the consumer.
We have guarantees;
we have to reimburse you.
If a company closes we have to reimburse the consumer for what they have deposited in our travel agency and then we go to the bankruptcy.
It is common sense.
We do not understand how they have not acted for a year, with that passivity.
I think the only solution is to create a fund and make the Spanish State a creditor.
The hoteliers claim 65 million from the Government for the costs derived from the state of alarm and could take the case to the Supreme Court.
Are you considering doing something like that?
Yes. We have informed our associates of what is called lost profits.
It has to be each company that values the losses that it has had and that it claims.
Years ago there was a similar case with the controllers' strike.
You can make the claim by the courts and go to the Supreme Court.
To achieve the goal of vaccinating 70% of the population before summer, the current rate should be multiplied by seven.
One of the main limitations is the availability of vaccines and it seems that more are arriving.
Do you think it will be possible to save the season?
No. I think the forecasts made by the Ministry of Health will not be fulfilled.
It's not that it's negative;
for there to be herd immunity, it has to be 70% vaccinated and I believe that until the summer of 2022 this will not happen.
Because of the supply problem, not because we are more prepared or not.
We are very dependent on the European Union.
Holiday bookings in some places in Greece already exceed those in Spain at TUI.
What do you think this is due to?
Greece is taking a good initiative as a tourist country.
We should have a greater weight;
Spain would have to lead this issue.
Greece is activating cruise ships and the other day we received a letter from the Ministry telling us that they are not going to reactivate because they are afraid of the lack of security.
There are things that are not understood.
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