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EconMin Popescu hopes for seaside tourism to be possible in July and August
The tourism industry will benefit from an aid package with a component aimed toward reducing hotels' and restaurants' electricity costs and a component aimed at the working capital, namely grants for funding expenses which will have to be made for arranging spaces in order to receive tourists, Minister of Economy, Energy and Business Environment Virgil Popescu said on Friday.
Furthermore, he estimated that seaside tourism will be possible only in July and August, and, generally, in Romania, and after the movement restrictions between localities are lifted, on 15 May, in the following two weeks, an assessment will be carried out regarding the health situation and the next decisions regarding tourism will be made.
"The entire tourism industry has been hit [by the COVID-19 crisis] 98-99 percent. (...) Until we won't feel safe while going to a hotel, going to a restaurant, going to a bar and be sure that nothing happens to our health, it cannot be relaunched," Popescu stated.
The Economy Minister gave assurances that he is working on a support programme for hoteliers, but also for the restaurant owners in view of reducing some expenses.
"For hotels, we are thinking of a support programme in order to help reduce their expenses with certain utilities and you will see in the next period that we will launch some special projects for hoteliers, to reduce their electricity costs, finance through 100 percent grants a production of photovoltaic electricity, 27 kw photovoltaic, which could reduce the costs of electricity even by 100% for some, perhaps by 50 percent for others. (...)," he explained at Digi 24 private television station.
Virgil Popescu mentioned that a series of procedures would have to be rethought which shall be observed in view of social distancing.
The Economy head mentioned that from the one billion euro destined to SMEs, a part will be earmarked to the tourism industry.
Regarding the installation of that electricity generation capacity, Virgil Popescu mentioned that a project will have to be submitted, but he gave assurances that no special approvals will be needed, and everything will happen quickly.
Asked when people could go to the seaside, the minister said that he hopes for tourism to be possible in Romania's seaside resorts in July and August.
"We are in constant contact with the Ministry of Health precisely to assess and be able to figure out when tourism could reopen. I am optimistic and I hope that in July and August seaside tourism will be possible in Romania, because they are the best months, and tourism in general in Romania. So, when the tourist season opens from a sanitary point of view, we will have available these measures that can be implemented," Popescu responded.
He explained that in this regard, after 15 May, in the following two weeks, an analysis of the health situation will be carried out and based on it, a decision will be made to start the tourism industry.
"On 15 May we are relaxing some of the measures. After two weeks, in this assessment period in which we can see if these relaxations had a positive effect or on the contrary, we have a first evaluation, ie exactly on 1 June. On 1 June, we will know whether the measures we took had a positive effect from the point of view of health as well, ie the health situation has not worsened (...) I repeat: until the Ministry of Health, after its assessment, doesn't say 'yes, at the moment we can say that the degree of health safety is high enough so that we can start the tourism industry', unfortunately, until then, this is it! (...)," he underscored.