18 million euros approved to aid tourism sector in Comunidad Valenciana

Friday 5th February 2021 | MIKE SMITH

The regional government has approved a decree authorising the regulatory bases and direct granting of aid to professionals in the tourism sector and tourism companies that carry out their activities in the Comunidad Valenciana. Through this decree, Turisme Comunitat Valenciana will allocate, from its own budget, a total of 18 million euros in direct aid to the tourism sector.

The impact of the high incidence of SARS-CoV-2 and the measures adopted to try to control the spread of the pandemic has been strongly felt on the level of sales and employment in the Valencian tourism sector. Therefore, the immediate approval of the regulatory bases and the granting of direct aid to companies and professionals in the tourism sector has been necessary to avoid the economic strangulation of the self-employed and tourism SMEs as a consequence of the restrictive measures that have been adopted by the regional government.

This decree approves the financial support of tourist accommodation, of companies that act between tourist supply and demand, and to the whole quality tourism experience and products that are key to differentiate the Comunidad Valenciana from the competition.

This funding complements that offered by the regional government’s PLAN RESISTIR, and the aid will be compatible with other grants, aid, income and resources from any administrations, national public or private organisations, the European Union, and other international organisations.

Beneficiaries

Individuals or legal entities that meet the following requirements as of the beginning of the application submission period may be beneficiaries:

1. Be part of any of the following groups:
   
   a) The owner of tourist accommodation registered in the Tourism Registry of the Comunidad Valenciana of those established in article 2, section a), of this decree.
   
   b) The owner of a travel agency registered in the Tourism Registry of the Comunidad Valenciana.
   
   c) Be attached to any of the following tourism policy programs promoted by Turisme Comunitat Valenciana: CreaTurisme, SICTED, L’Exquisit Mediterrani, or Mediterranew Musix.
   
2. In the event that the applicant is a self-employed person, he/she must also be registered in the Spocial Security Special Regime for Self-Employed as well as in the registry for business tax (IAE) on the date of the start of the term of submission of applications.
   
3. In the event that the applicant is a legal person, this must, in addition, be registered in the census of economic activities of the State Tax Administration Agency at the beginning of the period for submitting applications.
   
4. Be tax resident in the Comunidad Valenciana.
   
5. Not to incur in any of the prohibitions provided for in section 2 of article 13 of Law 38/2003, General Subsidies.

Aid Distribution

a) For owners of tourist accommodation, a maximum global amount of 9,100,000 euros will be allocated.

b) For owners of travel agencies registered in the Tourism Registry of the Comunidad Valenciana, a maximum global amount of 2,500,000 euros will be allocated.

c) For natural or legal persons adhered to any of the following tourism policy programs: CreaTurisme, SICTED, L’Exquisit Mediterrani and Mediterranew Musix, a maximum global amount of 6,400,000 euros will be allocated.