Hotels and travel agencies are already fearful of the impact that a delay in the start of travel to Imserso could have following a cascade of appeals against the award of three lots Avoris, the tourism division of Barceló. The low season is in jeopardy if sales don’t start soon, and the strong showing to close the summer season in eastern Spain could be wasted.

He Central Treaty Appeal Court (TACRC) has until Thursday to look into Avoris’ allegations. If it spares the resources of its competitors, sales of older software packages could begin within days. Otherwise, a review process will be opened, which could delay the start of product sales until December. 886,269 seats (70,000 more than last year).

Considering the possible delay, which will be added to the delay of previous editions, Spanish Confederation of Travel Agencies (Ceav) sent a letter to the Minister of Social Rights Ignacio Alvarez to express its “concerns” about season 2023-2024. While employers recognize that the process of challenges and appeals against public tenders is a “legitimate practice” to ensure competition, they are mindful that they are becoming increasingly common due to increased competition in tenders.

For this reason, they turn to an organization that depends on Ministry of Social Rights and the 2030 Agenda under the instructions of Podemos acting general secretary Ione Belarra to carry out “more adequate planning and forecasting of the program to avoid serious harm to users from delays in its implementation.”

In this sense, they consider it necessary to “ensure looser deadlines and a call for competitions to be held well before the summer. with a view to selling seats in September.” Thus, trips will begin in the first two weeks of October as planned. “In this way, users will not be affected and will be able to preserve the jobs created in some tourist areas during the summer,” they add.

Travel agency employers say the entire contracting process needs to be speeded up to avoid repeated delays on subsequent releases. In this sense they report that publication of specifications occurred on March 26, with a deadline for presentation of proposals open until May 3.

reward This happened only on July 6, and the deadline for filing appeals was extended until August 25. After accusations If the winning bidder company appealed, TACRC’s decision to temporarily suspend travel came just days before the date set for marketing to begin. It’s up to the agencies to decide.”is not sustainable for future tenders.”

“It’s impossible to plan a season”

It is Valencian hoteliers who claim that the delay in the implementation of the Imserso program jeopardizes the good economic prospects of the sector. September follows positive August data with most destinations in Valencian Community and exceeds records for the same period in 2019.

In this sense, on the part of employers Osbeck They say that blocking the Imserso program puts closure of more than fifty hotels region and sustainability 3,000 direct and 10,000 indirect jobs. And they stress that the uncertainty caused by administrative paralysis “prevents hoteliers from planning their activities during low-season months.”

Avoris’ competitors believe that the provision of travel was not carried out in accordance with the terms of the contract. But the tourism group scored the highest in three lots of the program, which is worth an estimated 842.9 million euros.

Travel agencies are mindful of the importance of the program not only for their own business (they charge a €12 commission per package sold) but also for the rest of the tourism industry, where “it makes a fundamental contribution to the creation and maintenance of jobs in the tourism sector and helps mitigate the seasonality of the sector , especially in the low season.

In addition to social benefits for older people, the Imserso program was designed to maintain employment in areas that are more dependent on seasonal tourism. Thanks to this, establishments can maintain their templates and supporting companies such as transport, recovery or laundry They can continue to operate outside of the high season.

The resort groups are Soltour, the tour operator Pinero Groupowner of a hotel chain Bahia Principe. There is also Mundiplan, a temporary joint venture (UTE) created Airline Iberiagiant trainer Bus and travel agency IAG7. In its turn, Seniorplan He is educated Nautalia, Seniorplan and Autocares Vera. The latter was presented to batch 3 “Domestic tourism and nature”.