Page 54 - BNE_magazine_06_2020 Growers

54 I Southeast Europe bne June 2020
There is confusion in Bulgaria, where it seems that the tourism ministry still has no idea how to proceed with reopening the sector. Tourism Minister Nikolina Angelkova has been strongly criticised by the sector for the lack of policy
and support in the crisis. So far, she has only said that a mobile phone app is being developed that would show where tourists can find free umbrellas. Also, the ministry is considering providing vouchers to local people
to allow them to spend their vacation in local resorts.
With a share of just 1.4% in GDP, half of that in Bulgaria and far from the double digit figures seen in Croatia or Montenegro, Romania’s tourism has not been on the government’s agenda during the coronavirus crisis despite the efforts of tour operators and hotel owners. And it was low on the public agenda as well – or at least not as high as employment, wages or bank loan repayment.
Although the outlook for the tourism industry remains highly volatile, consensus expectations for 50% drop in the tourism business in Romania have consolidated.
On a more positive note (for tourism), President Klaus Iohannis announced that museums will be among the first establishments to be reopened after the planned relaxation of restrictions on May 15.
Also, hotels in Romania will reopen on May 15, when the state of emergency due to COVID-19 ends in the country, Prime Minister Ludovic Orban said in his press conference on May 4. This would have been good news, if the hotels were ever closed – but they were not.
However, at the same press conference Orban stressed that “we can survive without restaurants for another two months”. Speaking about restaurants, coffee shops and bars, he argued that, especially those who operate mainly indoors, pose a high epidemiological risk.
"After May 15, based on the evaluations we have at the moment, restaurants,
www.bne.eu
cafes, and bars will not open, neither
in closed spaces nor in open spaces. Depending on the evolution of the epidemic, depending on the evolution of the meteorological conditions, we
do not exclude the possibility that those in open spaces will open on June 1 or June 15, under certain conditions," Orban explained, adding that the holiday season in Romania only starts after June 15.
And he mentioned the insignificant role played by horeca in country’s economy – a comment quickly criticised by opposition politicians.
Orban promised companies in the tourism some support: grants (10%
of turnover) or “consumer vouchers”. Nonetheless, neither of the measures proposed by Orban meet the companies’ expectations and tour operators as well as hotel owners are still asking for more targeted support.
Specifically, the head of tour operators’ association ANAT Nicolae Demetriade asked the government to return from public money the payments made in advance by tourists for holidays abroad that they will, most likely, not be able
to go on. The government invited tour operators to provide data as regards the money paid by tourists and how was it spent. Their failure to answer supported allegations about tour operators running sort of Ponzi games or at least paying
for last year’s holidays with the money received in advance this year.
Can we go on holiday?
After around two months of lockdown
in most of the Southeast Europe region, easing of restrictions has been welcomed and people are starting to look ahead
to the summer, and ask whether they will be able to go on holiday – not least those who have paid for their holidays
in advance.
In Romania, the main questions on the agenda are: will Romanian Black Sea resorts open and if yes when and under what conditions? Will Bulgaria and Greece open their resorts and, similarly, when and under what circumstances? In fact, it remains
unclear whether Romanians will be able to travel freely out of their city
of residence after May 15, when the state of emergency ends. Top officials have provided contradictory answers. Under these circumstances, scenarios of green corridors to Greece, COVID-free passports, testing and plexiglass walls everywhere abound, while the holidays are placed in a remote future that can be reached only after an indefinite number of 14-day steps, each of which can generate alternative futures “depending on the recommendations
of the epidemiologists”, writes bne IntelliNews’ correspondent in Bucharest.
Meanwhile, bne IntelliNews reports from North Macedonia that many people say they will not go on holiday this summer due to the coronavirus situation as they fear for their health, although some already are visiting their weekend houses in rural and lakeside areas. Tourism workers expect that the tourist season this year will be supported only by local tourists. Most of the tourists in summer visit the Ohrid lakeside resorts, while the capital Skopje is a destination for tourists throughout the year.
51-year old Skopje citizen Biljana,
who works during summer as a host
in Greek resort city Paralia (mainly visited by Serbia and Macedonian tourists), fears that this year the season will be completely ruined due to strict restrictions that must be observed by accommodation facilities providers and guests.
“I don’t know if Serbians and Macedonians will visit Greek beaches this year in great numbers, due to fears for their health and the restrictions on buses that should be half empty. And how the distance of two metres will be held on beaches that previously were crowded,” she wondered.
With contributions from Valentina Dimitrievska in Skopje, Iulian Ernst in Bucharest, Denitsa Koseva in Sofia and Clare Nuttall in Glasgow