The Legal Impacts of COVID-19 in the Travel, Tourism and Hospitality Industry

3. What Effect Does the Coronavirus Pandemic Have in Cape Verde? 3.1. In the Aviation Sector According to the Cape Verdean Government’s instructions aiming to improve appropriated infection prevention and to mitigate the COVID-19 spread, all flights Between Cabo Verde and Germany, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Slovakia, Spain, Finland, France, Hungary, Ireland, Iceland, Luxembourg, Norway, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, UK, Czech Republic, Romania, Sweden, Switzerland, Morocco, Senegal, Nigeria, USA, Brazil, are forbidden, except cargo, repatriation flights, hospital, humanitarian, medical evacuation, technical emergency stopovers and sanitary purposes. The airlines of the countries affected by the NOTAM number A0048/20 are authorised to operate in Cabo Verde for repatriation of their citizens concerned. Flight to Cabo Verde will be ferry and crew members must remain on board and stopovers shortened. Previously, back February, in order to prevent the introduction or dissemination of infections caused by the coronavirus disease, the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Cabo Verde had suspended all flights from Italy trough the Official Bulletin Nº 35/2020 of 27 February. As it happens all around the world, there are no national or international flights, and planes are on the ground. Recently, the Cape Verde Air Company published that will not start operation, at least, before July, of course also depending on the progress of the pandemic worldwide. 3.2. In the Tourism and Hospitality Sector According to the statement of the Minister of Tourism, on April 8, the coronavirus pandemic is already having a tremendous impact on tourism in Cape Verde. Having in mind that the tourism industry represents around 25% of Cape Verde’s GDP, the impact on the market and Government budgets is enormous and will conduct the country to an inevitable recession. The air space is closed; the tourism operation stopped; and hotels and resorts are closed, especially the biggest resorts in Sal and Boa Vista Islands. The ones that are open are only doing so to support and accommodate those who are kept in mandatory quarantine or the medical staff. More, the Minister said that from the 20,000 jobs related to the tourism industry, around 17,000 will be lost, about 85% of the total of jobs, affecting negatively