For example, the spas in Luhačovice in the Zlín region and in Jáchymov in the Karlovy Vary region, which belong to one company, dealt with how to meet the enormous interest. They accept state vouchers in both facilities. Therefore, they divided the clients.
“If we did not manage part of the demand for Jáchymov, Luhačovice would consume that capacity in two days,” said Eduard Bláha, General Manager of the Jáchymov and Luhačovice Spa. But now they do not accept other vouchers.
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The biggest problem of the program is the not yet received notification of the European Commission, which would set a temporary framework, ie the maximum amount that applicants can draw from public support programs.
The Ministry of Regional Development (MRD), which is in charge of the program, has sent the necessary documents to the European Commission. At the same time, it wants to seek an exemption for tourism so that support for this sector is not limited in any way. It could be clear at the turn of July and August, said Deputy Director for Regional Development of the Ministry of Regional Development David Koppitz. According to him, the program should get the notification without any problems, just as it did, for example, with the COVID rent program.
“We were faced with the question: ‘Does it make sense to wait for the break of the support border to be resolved and negotiated, or is it better to let it all go?'” Said Bláha, who is also the president of the Association of Medical Spas. “We agreed that it is better to let it go, because the basic limit has already come to us big enough,” he added.
The temporary framework per applicant is 800 thousand euros (about 21 million crowns). Thanks to this, according to Bláha, the entire market could use about 100,000 vouchers. In terms of it, according to him, it is almost as many domestic guests normally come to spas in the Czech Republic in the second half of the year.
Třeboň has already exhausted the capacity of vouchers
The possible capacity of discounted 4,000 vouchers for stays offered by the state has also been exhausted in Třeboň, South Bohemia. It may draw support of a maximum of 200 thousand euros (about 5.3 million crowns), so that it is not illegal public support that would be in conflict with EU rules. It is a matter of complying with the so-called de minimis rule. The mayor of Třeboň, Jan Váňa (ODS), who is also one of the spa’s executives, told the ČTK agency. For the summer, the spa stays are sold out.
From the vouchers it would be possible to satisfy 1250 clients, and such a number have already turned to the spa. “The state complicates it a bit, because the local spa is owned by the city, and there is de minimis support according to the directive of the European Commission. This is complicated because the city owns other companies and none of those companies should receive any other support for three years. At the Ministry of Regional Development, there was also a variant in the game that it would be 800 thousand euros (about 21.3 million crowns), and that would already affect us in the autumn months. Otherwise, we will run out by autumn, “said Váňa.
According to the rules of de minimis aid, one entrepreneur may not receive support of over EUR 200,000 for any three consecutive tax periods. Třeboň Spa is sold out for the summer. Váňa would welcome it if the vouchers could be used from October to December, when self-payers are not so interested in their stays.
“It simply came to our notice then. People also generated vouchers for October and November. If it was only the 200,000 euros, we would be exhausted now. People can continue to generate vouchers, but they are not (with us) sure whether they will receive a discount, “said the mayor.
Unclear between the spa and travel agencies
Some spas do not accept vouchers from travel agencies from the beginning. They did not agree on terms with them. “There was no methodology for applying a spa voucher, both for the spa itself and for travel agencies,” said Libor Stočes from Lázně Travel.
Deputy Koppitz said that it is up to the individual entities to agree among themselves how to take care of the client. “We will not enter into this relationship,” he added.
Some spas did not participate in the program due to bureaucracy
There is a third category of spas, namely those that did not participate in the COVID spa program. There are about two dozen of them. For example, the spa in Teplice nad Bečvou does not accept vouchers at all.
“In the case of vouchers, the spa has to apply for a subsidy retrospectively, there is a risk that they will overdraw the limit and the support will not be reimbursed, or they will not be able to draw further assistance,” said their director Bohdana Opočenská.
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