Small businesses and the hospitality sector have been submerged in a sea of doubts after the announcement of the Plan for de-escalation by the Central Government. If for a month, the most expected by all was to know when the lack of confidence would take place and how, today, everything is an uncertainty and concern.
In Xàbia, the four business groups agree that the measure to open, on May 11, 30% of the capacity of the terraces, in the case of bars and restaurants, "it is totally unfeasible", and in shops, which can open from day 4, "We still do not know what hygienic measures must be followed once the client has been treated, nor do we have the protective material."
The representatives of the associations of Xàbia Histórica, Xàbia Port, Arenal and Restauradores de Xàbia indicate that "no one has informed us of the conditions under which we can open". "We do not know what kind of conditions are those that are referred to as hygienic-sanitary, nor the number of diners per table or the distance between people at the same table", indicates Cande Ros, president of Xàbia Port.
And, the reopening conditions announced by the Central Government have discouraged many businessmen. Raúl Caselles, president of the Association of Merchants and Entrepreneurs of Xàbia Histórica has indicated that "The spirits are not good, we are waiting for the aid to be able to cope. The associates of the historic center consider that the indicated measures are not good and most will wait to reopen, about mid-June, when the capacity is 50%". A question shared by the rest of the Xàbia businessmen, "If the phases are carried out well as they say, in July and August we could be working, although it is clear that it will not be to recover, but with 30% you cannot survive", indicates Alfonso Pinel, president of the Arenal businessmen's association and adds that "we need more concretions".
Xàbia entrepreneurs also require more information and clarification regarding ERTEs, "it is impossible to maintain the same previous squad during the six months following the reopening with a third or half the capacity", says José Manuel Piña, president of the Association of Restauradores de Xàbia (ARX). For his part.
With the new measures, the hoteliers' problem is not only to open, but to fill, both Piña and Ros imply that with the asymmetry of the de-escalation plan, "We lose part of our potential clientele. We will depend on local and regional clients and foreign population residing here, but if we do not advance at the same time, we will not have second-residence tourism either". And it is that, the fixed expenses with opening the doors add up, but with the reduction of clients, the accounts do not come out, "at least locally, the Javea Town Hall "We have joined in our help and we have postponed the payment of fees and taxes, without a doubt a respite for the hospitality sector in these times"José Manuel points out.
Also, as the representatives of business groups have commented, the Xàbia City Council is studying the possibility of expanding the terraces to compensate for the capacity, "good proposal but that is also the air because it is not all possible cases since it deals with a pedestrian crossing area, private entrances, etc"they manifest.
The president of the ARX clarifies that if not the situation of the hospitality sector is more specific, "The crisis we are going to experience will be very strong". For the moment, each owner has to assess whether it is worth opening or not, and the remaining question, what is the investment that must be made to open and for how long? Will the lamps be for the long term? , Can you attend group tables ?. Many questions arise to which, for the moment, there is no answer.
