560 LEGAL IMPACTS OF COVID-19 IN THE TOURISM INDUSTRY La aceptación del bono se considera una ayuda a los agentes de viajes o prestadores de servicios ante las dificultades del sector23. En Bélgica, se optó por la emisión de un bono por el valor del precio pagado en caso de cancelación de un viaje combinado motivada por la situación de crisis sanitaria que el viajero no puede rechazar24. Esta norma fue modificada el 3 de abril de 2020, estableciendo un plazo para el reembolso25. En Alemania, con carácter general, también se ha optado por la emisión de bonos en el caso de cancelación de vuelos y viajes combinados desplazando el reembolso de las cantidades pagadas por el usuario. Los bonos tienen validez hasta diciembre de 2021 y, en caso de no ser utilizados, se tendrá que reembolsar su precio al viajero. Hay que destacar el plan para garantizar la devolución de los bonos en caso de no haberse realizado otro viaje y cualquiera que sea la situación del prestador de servicios; se garantiza el reembolso del precio pagado, incluso en situaciones de insolvencia del prestador de servicios26. 23 Según el documento citado: “On 8 May 2020, the Government approved a proposal from the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport to legislate for a State guarantee for refund credit notes to be issued by registered travel agents and tour operators for package holidays cancelled due to restrictions arising from Covid-19. The refund credit notes will be redeemable for their cash value at a specified date and can be used to book a replacement holiday. The choice to accept a refund credit note or to receive a refund of payments will remain with the consumer. Legislative provisions are currently being drafted to give effect to the refund credit notes. When these provisions are in operation, travellers who are in a position to accept reimbursement by means of a refund credit note should consider doing so in order to help travel agents and tour operators, many of which are small locally-owned businesses, to come through the present exceptionally difficult trading conditions for the sector”. 24 Vid. Arrêté ministériel relatif au remboursement des voyages à forfait annulés, 19 mars 2020: “Le voyageur ne peut pas refuser le bon à valoir qui répond aux conditions visées au paragraphe 1e en http://www.ejustice.just.fgov.be/eli/arrete/2020/03/19/2020040676/moniteur (consultado noviembre 2021). 25 Vid. http://www.ejustice.just.fgov.be/eli/arrete/2020/04/03/2020020690/moniteur (consultado noviembre 2021). 26 The German support measures: “All customers of travel organisers who have a right to a refund under the EU Package Travel Directive can benefit from these secured vouchers regardless of their service provider as long as German law is applicable. With this scheme, the German State aims at ensuring that any traveller that accepts a voucher issued by a travel operator will be able to either use it or receive a full refund. The vouchers will remain valid until 31 December 2021. If not used before this date, the full amount paid will be reimbursed to the customer. By guaranteeing repayment of these vouchers in the event of insolvency of the tour operator concerned, today's scheme aims (i) to protect consumers, (ii) to ensure effective settlement of related refunds or reimbursements to travelers, and (iii) to ease liquidity pressure on the travel industry by encouraging the uptake of vouchers instead of direct repayment. In return, tour operators will pay a premium to the German State (0.15% of the value of the voucher covered for small and medium-sized enterprises, 0.25% for large companies)”. Vid. https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_20_504 (noviembre 2021). Tampoco faltan propuestas, como la del profesor Führich que, ante la situación del sector turístico propone que en caso de cancelación del contrato los costes se repartan entre el prestador del servicio y el viajero. Lo hace en estos términos: “It seems unreasonable . . . to let the risks of a pandemic be borne by the operator alone. It is also not appropriate to indirectly burden the taxpayer with government financial security measures in order to secure more or less expensive recreational trips by people willing to travel. I therefore suggest that, in the event the package traveller withdraws [cancels] before the start of the trip for reasons of a worldwide pandemic, the traveller should contribute to the tour operator’s advance costs by halving the contractually due cancellation compensation”. (Vid. https://www.travelweekly.co.uk/arti cles/385202/consumers-should-share-cost-of-cancellation-due-to-covid).
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