What to do to with tourists bookings during Coronavirus?

In this post we explain what Coronavirus is and what measures you can apply.

In case you still don’t know us, we introduce ourselves: we are ERA architects.
Actually, I am Esther Rovira, an architect in Barcelona.
Throughout these years I have designed tourist apartments for individuals and investors.
I have also designed and managed two licensed tourist apartments in Barcelona with my sister Gemma since 2008.
Our company Sisters Alliance S.L. It is associated with APARTUR, the Asociació d’Apartaments Turístics de Barcelona.
We have also added ourselves to the 2020 Barcelona Biosphere destination challenge.
In this post you will find recommendations to overcome Coronavirus.
I hope it helps!

1. What is Coronavirus?

By now you know better than me what the Coronavirus is. But let’s recap once more just in case:
They are a family of viruses that can cause disease in animals or humans.
In humans, some of these viruses are known to cause respiratory infections from a simple cold to more serious illnesses (such as SARS).
The most recently discovered coronavirus causes coronavirus disease COVID-19.

2. How can Coronavirus COVID-19 affect my tourist reserves?

The Generalitat and the unions are doing their data dump and it is too early to know the repercussion.
They themselves said at the beginning of March: “You cannot give figures until the statistics are closed and compared with other similar situations”
Without having data, we could take previous similar crises.
Thus, we could say that the Coronavirus crisis could mean 3 months of decline and 3 months of recovery in your tourist reserves.

3. What can I do today?

Transmit calm to future guests (write them an email informing them with total objectivity and a friendly tone)
Ensures the cleanliness of tourist rooms and apartments
Offers the postponement of reservations to September (offers welcome tapas if your reservation is postponed)
Inform and prepare an action protocol for clients and employees who are exposed
Check the treasury in the worst case (balance expenses VS minimum income) (can we minimize expenses?)
Minimize expenses

4. New means of promotion

Focus on promoting the summer months without lowering prices.
Carry out promotional campaigns for local tourism (those that can be reached by car).
Do not dedicate efforts to the promotion of international tourism until.

5. Financial aid

None of us want to ask for a credit or to postpone expenses.
But in the worst case you should know in Spain you are able to:

  • request ICO credit with subsidized interest
  • postpone settlements and tourist tax April-October
  • dedicate 100% of the accumulated rate to support companies in the sector
  • you can postpone the payment of the self-employed fee

 

Our professional recommendation:
If you are still reading here, you are a person who has already emerged from other crises.
So congratulations on staying there!
Trust your inner self that-got-you-out of-other-crises and write down what other things you can do to solve this situation.
If you cannot come up with any, think how can you help other people.
People are suffering, it is time to postpone the economics to put upfront our human values.
Can you give away your space to hospitals, associations or even hospital workers you personally know?
Can we do anything else? Please share what could we do more to give ideas 🙂

 

I hope this post has encouraged you and given you some idea of ​​how to deal with this situation.
Stay home, stay useful and as Pink says: be nice, help others and change the fucking world!

 

P.S. Was this helpful? Want to stay connected? subscribe to our BLOG or follow us on Instagram, Twitter y Facebook

The image is from El Periódico