294 LEGAL IMPACTS OF COVID-19 IN THE TOURISM INDUSTRY To avoid bankruptcy in the tourism sector, it is necessary to maintain and, as far as possible, increase aid lines. The most demanded by the sector have been the postponement or delay of the payment of taxes and contributions to Social Security; facilitate business liquidity by expanding the amount of guarantees to 80% of loans for all companies; flexibility in ERTES to temporarily adjust templates; tax breaks on all taxes and fees; enable the renegotiation of tourist asset rentals; etc. Still, the great hope points towards Europe and, on this occasion, it seems that it will not look elsewhere. This is clear from the Commission Communication COM (2020) 456 final “The moment of Europe: repair the damage and prepare the future for the next generation” (DOUE 27/05/2020), which considers that a collective and cohesive recovery accelerating the double ecological and digital transition will only strengthen Europe’s competitiveness, resilience and position as a global player. For this reason, solidarity, cohesion and convergence must set the path for Europe’s recovery – no person, no region, no Member State should be left behind. To achieve this objective, the Commission proposes a new recovery instrument, called “Next Generation EU”, within the framework of a renewed long-term EU budget, with a contribution of 1.85 trillion euros to help relaunch the European economies. All parties involved in tourist destinations will have to prepare to offer safe travel – without setbacks – and allowing some flexibility in bookings for tourists. Travel agencies have an opportunity because of the guarantee that the legal framework represents for consumers. The health crisis and the so-called “transition to the new normal” are generating many standards to guarantee the safety and confidence of users, so we can affirm that we are facing a new stage in tourism law. Successful coordination when lifting the containment measures will have a positive impact on the recovery of economic activity. It is necessary to strategically plan a recovery that takes into account the needs of citizens, in which the economy must grow and return to a path of sustainable growth, integrating the green and digital transition and drawing all the lessons from the current crisis so that Spain is better prepared and has increased resistance. The recovery of tourism requires the collaboration of companies and tour operators, tourists and all public administrations.
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