The Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism, Reyes Maroto, participated today in a new meeting of tourism ministers of the European Union, called by the Croatian presidency to analyze the effects of COVID-19 on the European tourism sector and the measures to the relaunch of the activity.
In his speech, Maroto recalled the proposal led by Spain and signed by eleven other countries for the Commission to present a European Recovery Plan for the tourism sector that pays attention to the specific problems of the most affected countries and territories and, in particular, to the outermost regions and islands.
The Minister also noted that Spain welcomes the recommendations on tourism and transport issued by the Commission on May 13 to restore freedom of movement and gradually lift coordinated border controls between member states and travel restrictions. in the States, regions and areas with a positive evolution of the pandemic and an epidemiological situation sufficiently similar, in order to ensure that the tourist activity gradually recovers, respecting the health recommendations. “We believe that a phased approach approach, coordinated and agreed among Member States, is the best way to achieve a gradual normalization of cross-border travel; therefore, we must coordinate to lift the confinement and quarantine rules, as well as in the restoration of tourism and transport services, "he said.
Lastly, he asked the Commission to work on the creation of a European guarantee fund for vouchers. “Spain is in favor of temporarily allowing airlines to offer passengers vouchers instead of reimbursements, issued under uniform conditions for the entire EU, but to guarantee the rights of passengers – in the face of possible insolvency of airlines – it would be necessary creating a European guarantee fund, given that the regulation is supranational in nature and a national solution would generate asymmetric protections for passengers according to each country, ”he said.
