The Legal Impacts of COVID-19 in the Travel, Tourism and Hospitality Industry

258 LEGAL IMPACTS OF COVID-19 IN THE TOURISM INDUSTRY essential services, in order to reduce population mobility, in the context of the fight against the coronavirus14. On 30 March, Order SND/307/2020 was published, establishing the interpretative criteria for the application of Royal Decree-Law No. 10/202015. Article 10.6 of Royal Decree No. 463/2020 included a series of containment measures related to commercial activity, among which included hotel and restaurant activities, as well as other additional ones. It considers the closure of certain establishments, and, not being an exhaustive list, there is no numerus clausus established with respect to them. It was also indicated that the Minister of Health could modify, expand or restrict the measures, places, establishments and activities indicated, for justified reasons of public health, and this suspension could be extended to other assumptions deemed necessary. Royal Decree-Law No. 11/2020, of 31 March, adopting supplementary urgent measures in the social and economic field to deal with COVID-1916, precisely mentions the tourism sector within the measures to sustain economic activity in transitional difficulties because of COVID-19, when it refers to support for industrialisation and indicates that it is necessary to continue supporting companies in the tourism sector. This crisis has led to the total paralysis of the tourism sector: from the limitation to the free movement of people and the limitations on national and international connectivity to destinations, to the closure of tourist establishments, including accommodation, restaurants and others companies of the value chain. In order to ensure the liquidity and, therefore, the viability of the tourist companies, the payment of interest and repayment of the loans granted by the Secretary of State for Tourism, in the framework of the Emprendetur R+D+i program, the Emprendetur Young Entrepreneurs program and the Emprendetur Internationalization program. Within Chapter II on measures to sustain economic activity in transitional difficulties as a result of COVID-19, and within measures to support industrialisation, Royal Decree-Law No. 11/2020 regulates the modification of the time and period for the submission of guarantees provided for in the announcements for loans granted by the General Secretariat of Industry and Small and Medium Enterprises (SGIPYME), pending resolution at the time of entry into force of Royal Decree No. 462/2000 (Article 38). It also regulates the refinancing of loans granted by the SGIPYME (Article 39), the reimbursement 14 BOE No. 87, 29 March 2020. 15 BOE No. 89, 30 March 2020. 16 BOE No. 91, 01 April 2020.

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