The tour operator sector has been directly affected by the ban on travel to non-EU countries since Sunday, unless there is a compelling reason.
Jean-François Rial, CEO of the Voyageurs du Monde group and vice-president of Seto, union of tour operator companies, called this morning on the set of BFM Business for the removal of the ceiling of the solidarity fund for its sector.
This request follows the announcement by Bruno Le Maire of an increase in the ceiling of this fund, from three million to ten million euros, to help the mountain sector and certain large-scale businesses on a case-by-case basis. cut.
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Jean-François Rial recognizes that the government has "
generally
helped a lot since the start
".
However, he indicates that the increase in the ceiling of the solidarity fund concerns for the moment the hotel and catering industry.
"
We are concerned up to 3 million, but we are not yet concerned for the 10 million, and we are not concerned about the removal of the ceiling below, that is to say those who less than a million euros in turnover
”, he lamented, adding:“
I hope that Mr. Le Maire will arbitrate this for us, because we are in a worse situation than hotels, cafes, restaurants.
"
For tour operators, closing borders is a “
triple penalty
”, according to Jean-François Rial
:
“
When we stop travel, we have no departures, we have no reservations, and trips that 'we cancel at the last moment, (...) we have to cancel them and we have costs for these people
”.
Closing the borders is all the more difficult for travel operators to accept as it applies "
without confinement
".
"
In confinement we understand, we all stop, but this is much harder for us,
" he pointed out.
“
What I expect from them
(from the government, editor's note)
now is that the announcements of the aid they have provided us are clear, precise and applicable immediately.
"
A "
health certificate
" for travel
Asked about the possibility of compulsory vaccination for travel, Jean-François Rial instead defends the establishment of a "
health certificate
" which would take the form "
of an electronic document in which you would have all the health information that concern you: you have done PCR tests, you have negative serology, you have been vaccinated
... "A different concept from the vaccination passport, for which"
we should not fight
"according to him,"
because it does not there is not a State which will have the same policies
of entry on its territory.
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And according to the CEO of Voyageurs du Monde, some French travelers are circumventing the current ban on travel to non-EU countries without a compelling reason.
"
They have to cheat, that they go through a European capital which itself would not be closed to certain countries
", he explained.
"
Customers do, but we do not encourage
," said Jean-François Rial, without giving details on the number of people using this practice.