ARCHIVED - Imserso holidays for Spanish pensioners suspended after protest by Benidorm hoteliers

The Spanish tourist industry continues to struggle to recover from the effects of the pandemic

At a time when the Spanish tourist industry is struggling to emerge from the crisis brought about by the coronavirus pandemic a further blow to the sector has been dealt by the courts, who have temporarily suspended the Imserso pensioners’ holiday scheme pending the resolution of a claim lodged by the hoteliers of Benidorm and the Costa Blanca.

Hundreds of thousands of Spanish pensioners enjoy low-cost holidays throughout the country every year by taking advantage of the Imserso scheme, with those entitled to apply including anyone aged 55 or over who receives a pension related to retirement, widowhood or for other reasons, those aged 60 or over who are receiving unemployment benefit, and over-65s who benefit from the social security system. Spouses, partners and children with disabilities are permitted to accompany those applying.

But the Hosbec association of hoteliers in Benidorm and the province of Alicante claims that after the scheme was suspended due to the pandemic in 2020, the conditions established for 2021 fail to take into account a realistic evaluation of the costs for hotel owners of providing accommodation for visitors. In addition, they are unhappy about the exclusion of 3-star hotels and in consequence, are demanding that the “defects” in the conditions be rectified.

Nuria Montes of Hosbec is quoted in the press as stating that the most important failing in the conditions outlined by the national government is the failure to take into account staff costs, which account for over half of the outgoings for hotels involved in the scheme. In addition, she reports that Imserso proposes a nightly rate of 46 euros for a double room, whereas the average in the Comunidad Valenciana during the winter is 64.40 euros (according to data published by the government’s central statistics unit).

While unhappy at the conditions proposed, Hosbec also underline that they hope the situation will be satisfactorily resolved before the autumn, when the Imserso season begins.

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