UNAV-Fetave calls for new legal framework to protect travel agencies
Front-Line Financial Exposure Threatens Travel Intermediaries
Travel agencies and tourism operators face acute financial exposure during global crises under current European and Spanish regulations, according to statements made by travel business association UNAV-Fetave.
César Gutiérrez, president of UNAV-Fetave, stated that agencies sit on the front line of cancellations and modifications while often absorbing costs they cannot recover from third-party suppliers.
Speaking at a seminar organized by the Tourism Section of the Madrid Bar Association (ICAM), Gutiérrez called for a comprehensive legal framework that distributes risks evenly across the entire travel supply chain and establishes permanent coordination mechanisms with government administration.
Combined Travel Instruments Protect Consumers but Squeeze Intermediaries
The debate centers on how extraordinary circumstances—ranging from armed conflicts to natural disasters—impose heavy financial liabilities on commercializers of travel.
María Dolores Serrano, head of the legal area at UNAV-Fetave, emphasized that combined travel instruments provide vital safeguards for consumers facing sudden disruptions, including mandatory refunds, traveler assistance, and insolvency protection.
However, Serrano noted that current regulatory burdens disproportionately squeeze intermediary businesses. These firms must execute consumer protections without possessing adequate legal tools or financial support systems to recover unrecoverable outlays from airlines, hoteliers, and international service providers.
Proposals for Emergency Funding and Official Channels
During the ICAM seminar titled “Tourism in Times of Crisis: Legal Tools for the Protection of Tourists and Destinations,” industry participants examined protections through international, European, and Spanish lenses alongside representatives from UN Tourism, the Complutense University of Madrid, and Ceca Magán Abogados.
UNAV-Fetave highlighted proposals previously submitted to Spain’s Ministries of Tourism and Economy during Middle East conflict disruptions.
Those proposals requested emergency funding mechanisms, dedicated support for unrecoverable cancellation expenses, and official communication channels.
Industry Resilience Depends on Proactive System Design
Gutiérrez argued that industry resilience depends on proactive system design rather than post-crisis blame attribution, pointing to ad-hoc legal advisory protocols deployed during recent wildfire emergencies as a baseline for future preparedness.