Various measures are being taken to support the travel sector and the event industry in light of the new coronavirus (Covid-19) crisis, federal minister for economy Nathalie Muylle announced on Wednesday.
Among other measures, tour operators are no longer required to reimburse cancelled trips and will instead be able to issue vouchers, should an organised trip be cancelled because of the coronavirus.
In case of a coronavirus-related cancellation, event organisers will only be required to refund tickets if the purchaser can prove they are unable to attend the event on the rescheduled date.
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"These are exceptional measures intended to prevent many companies - large ones, but also small theatre companies, for example - from going bankrupt. This would severely undermine the offer of services to consumers. These measures are therefore also in the consumer's interest," Muylle points out.
The measures are much-needed for the travel sector, which has been hit particularly hard by the coronavirus pandemic as more and more countries ban non-essential travel, and the event industry, which has seen many organisers having to postpone or cancel events.
We hebben beslist dat consumenten wiens reis niet kan doorgaan, een #reischeque krijgen die jaar geldig is, ipv terugbetaling. Op die manier zorgen we dat reissector deze moeilijke periode kan doorkomen. Consumenten hebben daar alle belang bij. #deinspecteur @svenpichal
— Nathalie Muylle (@nathaliemuylle) March 18, 2020
Organisatoren kunnen #evenementen naar nieuwe datum verplaatsen en moeten klant pas terugbetalen als hij op nieuwe datum niet kan. Zorgen dat organisatoren deze periode doorkomen en dat consument ook in toekomst kan blijven genieten van rijk aanbod! #deinspecteur @svenpichal
— Nathalie Muylle (@nathaliemuylle) March 18, 2020
The Brussels Times
