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

12 socio-economic consequences. The Spanish Government addressed this fourth priority in Royal Decree-Law 7/2020, of 12 March, by which urgent measures are adopted to respond to the economic impact of COVID-19 (BOE no. 163), dedicating Chapter III to the articulation of a series of measures to support the tourism sector. First, a line of financing is organised for certain companies and the self-employed who are considered especially affected by COVID-19 (Article 12). This financing line was created by Article 4 of Royal Decree-Law 12/2019, of 11 October, by which urgent measures were adopted to mitigate the effects of the opening of insolvency proceedings of the Thomas Cook business group, and its development instruments, which established a financing line of 200 million euros, managed by the Official Credit Institute and with a partial guarantee of 50% from the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism, for companies and self-employed workers in the tourism sector and related activities. The financing line is endowed with 200 million euros in addition to the 200 million euros previously provided. In the first additional provision, the scope of the Thomas Cook extended financing line is determined to serve the set of companies established in Spain included in specific economic sectors, whose activity falls within one of the epigraphs of the National Classification of Economic Activities. (CNAE) of the tourism sector that are listed in the tables. Secondly, a set of measures is established to support the extension of the period of activity of workers with discontinuous permanent contracts in the tourism, commerce and hospitality sectors linked to tourism (Article 13). In these cases, a bonus of 50% of business contributions to Social Security for common contingencies may be applied in said months, as well as for the concepts of a joint collection of Unemployment, FOGASA and Professional Training of said workers, between 1 January and 31 December 2020. Finally, the suspension of the payment of interest and amortisations corresponding to the loans granted by SETUR (Secretary of State for Tourism) is established in general; without the need for prior request and for a period of one year, within the EMPRENDETUR program, it comprises several lines in different call orders (development of innovative products, program for young entrepreneurs and internationalisation). Conversely, it is necessary to warn that the autonomous communities are implementing a series of fundamental financial aids. Therefore, Catalonia approved the regulatory bases of the line of subsidies for professionals and micro-enterprises in the tourism sector by Order EMC/39/2020, of 13 April, aimed at professionals and self-employed persons and micro-