TOURISM SECTOR – REIMBURSEMENTS / USE OF RESERVATIONS

Aware of the current exceptional context, the Government has been adopting exceptional measures, taking into consideration the new topics that are being identified in relation to consumers, companies, economic operators and citizens in general, measures that are being subject to permanent weighting and reassessment. 

Having this in mind, the need to improve the travel of the finalists was identified, as well as the need for the Government to approve a set of more measures, aimed at the tourism sector. Therefore, it is important to take care of these circumstances through a specific regime directed at trips organized by travel and tourism agencies, the cancellation of reservations in tourist enterprises and accommodation establishments, as well as the relations between these economic agents among themselves (travel agencies and tourism, tourist entertainment operators and tourism enterprises and local accommodation establishments).

It should be noted that this regime seeks to find a balance between the financial sustainability of these economic operators and the rights of consumers, which, despite the current context, can’t be suppressed or eliminated. Not forgetting, of course, consumers who are unemployed and, as such, in a state of special vulnerability.

In this sense, Decree-Law 17/2020, of April 23, came to operationalize these measures, establishing the rules for the treatment of travel reservations organized by travel and tourism agencies, reservations in Tourist Enterprises and reservations in Local Accommodation, which are foreseen in the period between March 13, 2020 to September 30, 2020, and that are not made due to the State of Emergency / COVID -19.