Acting Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism, Reyes Maroto, today announced a government shock plan – especially aimed at the communities of the Canary and Balearic Islands – to limit the effects of the bankruptcy of British global tour operator Thomas Cook in the sector Spanish tourist.
After holding the meeting of the Interministerial Tourism Commission -which representatives from all departments have attended-, the minister highlighted in a press conference the “intense work” developed by the Government since the news was known, and that is specified in this Plan, which "gives a comprehensive response in just one week to a whole range of problems that this crisis has generated."
The plan includes thirteen measures grouped into four sections: air connectivity, liquidity of companies and freelancers, maintenance of employment and recovery of tourism demand. These measures will be articulated through a Royal Decree-Law that will be taken to the Council of Ministers on October 11. The thirteen measures of the plan are:
1. A commercial incentive for AENA rates. Exemption of 100% of the passenger fare on additional seats on international flights operating in the winter season (October 27, 2019 to March 28, 2020) with respect to those scheduled on August 31, 2019. This will be applicable for the Canary Islands and the Balearic Islands and represents a reduction of 38% with respect to the total landing and takeoff rate (cost of stopover).
2. Reduction of ENAIRE route rates of more than 12% from January 1, 2020, which will contribute to the acquisition of new airlines.
3. Strengthening the promotion of destinations to attract and retain airlines.
4. Opening of a line of loans of up to 200 million euros for companies and freelancers.
5. Extension of Social Security bonuses in discontinuous fixed contracts to the months of October and December 2019.
6. Opening through the Treasury of the Social Security and its territorial delegations of a window to make available to companies and freelancers information on the procedures available in cases of postponement, moratorium or deferral of quotas, within current regulations.
7. Opening of an informative window of the Tax Agency in its territorial delegations to advise on the procedures available to postpone the payment of certain taxes, within the current regulations.
8. Coordination of support and information measures for the companies affected in the bankruptcy process, in coordination with the autonomous communities.
9. Analysis of current active employment policies to reorient them in order to facilitate and accelerate the relocation of those affected.
10. Promotion program of Spain as a tourist destination with the objective of maintaining competitiveness, stimulating demand for alternative markets to the British and loyalty tourism in the regions most affected by the bankruptcy of the British business group.
11. Development of measures to consolidate the 2019-2020 tourism offer in the most affected destinations (Canary and Balearic Islands).
12. Strengthening of the Network of Intelligent Tourist Destinations, promoted by the Ministry of Tourism, through SEGITTUR, to improve the tourism strategy of the destinations.
13. Design of a legal strategy in defense of the general interests of the State, those affected and consumers.