​UHPA travel agencies record 70% drop in turnover, call for continued gov't support

Travel agencies, members of the UHPA association, recorded a turnover drop of some 70% in the first ten months of 2021 as against 2019, which is slightly better when compared to a 90% drop in 2020, and they expect the government's job-keeping measures to continue at least until April 2022.

This was said at the UHPA's annual assembly on Friday by the association's president, Tomislav Fain, who said that most travel agencies had survived the pandemic, which would not have been possible without the government's support.

He added that since many of UHPA members had exhausted various possibilities of financing, from borrowing to property sale, they expected the government's job-keeping support for the business sector to continue, at least until April 2022.

Fain said that vaccination and COVID passes were important for the revival of the travel industry, noting that travel agencies were receiving inquiries for 2022 but added that a lot of uncertainty remained.

UHPA director Ivana Maltar said the turnover drop in the travel industry in Croatia was greater than that of UHPA members, around 85%. That is why one of the important goals in 2022, apart from negotiations with the government regarding job-keeping support and continuation of activities on various EU projects, are also talks with insurers on guarantees in the event of insolvency of organisers of package tours.

Next year UHPA will also work on preparing travel agencies for the introduction of the euro and for dual display of prices, possibly already as of August, as well as on green and sustainable certificates, digitisation, etc.

Speaking of the HRK 2.2 billion envisaged for tourism under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, Assistant Tourism and Sports Minister Robert Pende said that one was looking for a way, in cooperation with UHPA and travel agencies, to help travel agencies more, using some of the 60% of the tourism funding intended for the private sector.

(Hina)

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