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ARCHIVED - Hoteliers in Spain rule out Imserso trips for pensioners this year
Hosbec fear the inaction of the government will have a devastating effect on businesses in Spain in the off-peak months
After being suspended for a year and a half due to the coronavirus pandemic, hoteliers association Hosbec has all but given up on the idea that Imserso trips for pensioners will resume before 2022. Describing the Spanish government’s lack of action on the issue as “a disaster”, the president of the group, Toni Mayor, has warned that delaying the initiative will have far-reaching consequences for many sectors that rely on the trips to sustain their businesses during the winter season.
What is Imserso?
The Imserso initiative offers cheap holidays to pensioners during the off-peak season from October to June. Some 800,000 places are made available to older travellers every year, and the trips are open to resident pensioners of any nationality, as well as their spouses, partners and children with disabilities. In addition to providing much-needed custom to Spanish hotels, Imserso provides a cash injection to countless bars, restaurants, transport companies and tourist attractions that might otherwise suffer financially in the quieter months.
Why aren’t Imserso holidays happening this year?
The start of the initiative was delayed this year when the association lodged an appeal claiming that the government had not taken into account the impact of the coronavirus pandemic when setting the prices for 2021. They were also unhappy that 3-star hotels had been excluded from the program.
Realistically, even if the situation were resolved in the next week or two, the sheer volume of visitors means that there is no way hotels could have their packages ready before the end of this month. Even being optimistic, with sales beginning in November the first trips couldn’t possibly take place until December; given the unlikelihood of organising the process fully in the next few weeks, hoteliers have resigned themselves to the fact that Imserso won’t be contributing to the coffers until January next year at the earliest.
While waiting for the Imserso project to launch, other private tour operators have taken the initiative and launched similarly competitive packages aimed at elderly customers, something which Hosbec said may just be the salvation of the Spanish tourism industry this winter.
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