The National Association of Travel Agencies in Romania (ANAT) is requesting concrete support measures from the Government, specifically an aid scheme, a reduction of the VAT rate to 5% for a period of 3 years, the extension of holiday vouchers for the 2021-2025 period for public sector employees, and tax incentives for private companies offering holiday vouchers to employees. Additionally, they seek the extension of the flexible work project until June 30, 2021, and the guaranteeing of value vouchers issued by travel agencies for trips canceled due to pandemic restrictions.
ANAT claims that, otherwise, the upcoming period will see bankruptcies of top domestic companies, recognized brands, and major employers, as well as medium-sized firms. This comes in a context where most support measures adopted by the Government so far have been largely inapplicable or, at best, of little use to travel agencies.
Agencies were unable to apply for technical unemployment because their activity could not be halted; they had ongoing stays or preparations for the 2020 summer season, travelers in various destinations needing repatriation, or negotiations with service providers to recover advances paid for canceled trips. The law mandates travel agencies (but not the service providers in the chain) to refund money without distinguishing for exceptional situations.
Subsequently, the 41.5% support measure—funds provided by the Government for salary expenses for employees brought back to work from technical unemployment—was inapplicable for the majority of travel agencies.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are ANAT’s primary requests to the Government?ANAT is requesting an aid scheme, a VAT reduction to 5%, the extension of holiday vouchers until 2025, and guarantees for vouchers issued for canceled trips.
Why was technical unemployment inapplicable for travel agencies?Agencies could not stop operations as they had to manage repatriations, ongoing summer stays, and complex negotiations with providers to recover funds.
What are the risks of not implementing these support measures?Without support, major domestic brands and large employers in the tourism sector face the risk of bankruptcy due to the impact of pandemic restrictions.