The tourism industry must benefit from emergency compensation, and any closure of activity in HoReCa makes restarting even more difficult and throws even more employees into unemployment and operators into bankruptcy, stated the president of the Employer Organization of Hotels and Restaurants in Romania, HORA, Daniel Mischie.
We believe that HoReCa should be detached from the 3% principle and that HoReCa should be able to operate at 30% capacity, regardless of the percentage of people infected with Covid. Any closure of activity in HoReCa practically makes restarting even harder and throws more operators and more employees into bankruptcy, unemployment, or the situation of leaving this country, Mischie declared.
He emphasized that this is the moment when HoReCa needs help, compensation for the damages caused by the Romanian Government, and the moment when it can benefit from the zero-tax principle for the minimum wage, noting that procedures to sue the state have been initiated.
The HORA representative specified that between 70,000 and 100,000 employees in the tourism industry have pivoted toward other fields or even chosen to leave the country, and 15,000 units will never reopen.
He stressed that, in this regard, aid for the tourism industry is being discussed, which is actually “compensation” for the fact that it is restricted, but concrete results are completely lacking.
The HORA president also mentioned that discussions are ongoing with local authorities, in the context where tourism units pay taxes and duties to the local budget even if they are restricted.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is HORA demanding from the Romanian Government?HORA is requesting that the HoReCa industry be allowed to operate at 30% capacity regardless of infection rates and receive emergency financial compensation.
How has the pandemic affected the workforce in the tourism sector?Between 70,000 and 100,000 employees have either switched industries or left the country, while 15,000 businesses have closed permanently.
What legal actions are being considered by the industry?The organization has initiated legal procedures to sue the Romanian state for damages caused by activity restrictions.