elENGLISH Periòdic EDITION NewsM O N 2 2

GLOBAL PANDEMIC The hotel sector considers this season «lost by 80%» The decision to postpone visitor access to the ski resorts is seen as «very negative»

ARXIU EL PERIÒDIC EL PERIÒDIC ESCALDES-ENGORDANY @PeriodicAND The government announced last Tu- esday the decision to postpone access to the country’s ski slopes to visitors, following the criteria adopted by most European countries. The me- asure was agreed with Ski Andor- ra and representatives of the ski in- dustry. But one of the sectors that is also greatly affected by the possible entry of tourists into the country is the hotel industry. The president of the Hotel Union of (UHA), Carles Ramos, assessed the Executi- ve’s decision «very negatively», but also admitted that «we understand what the current situation is», alt- hough he regretted that the «Ope- ning of the tracks to visitors may not have been a total solution, but

Occupancy during the week is «often Image of a hotel in Arinsal. 0%» and on weekends it rises to a maximum of cient, stating that «there are many be 10% or 15%, but during the week establishments that even if the si- in many cases is 0%». 15% tuation is resolved right now, it Regarding possible revitaliza- would be very difficult for them to tion projects for hotels, Ramos la- it would have been a good boost for go back. I can’t quantify how many, mented that «revitalizing our sec- the business». And he quantified but we do know that there are many tor for internal trade is very com- that «we consider the season lost that it will be almost impossible for plicated. What you can try is to do it by 80%.» them to raise the shutter again, and with restoration. But unfortunate- Referring to the number of esta- we have noticed that some hotels ly if there is no flow of tourists from blishments that remain open, the are already on the market. A clear the south or the north, we are doo- president explained that «of our as- Carles Ramos example of this dynamic is the in- med to close, or to work with occu- sociation only between 10 and 15 PRESIDENT OF THE HOTEL UNION OF ANDORRA terest of Barça player Leo Messi in pations that are often 0%. establishments remain operatio- acquiring the Hotel Canut. Refer- He added that in his opinion the nal, which means more or less 15% «Only 10 to 15 establishments are still ring to this type of acquisition by fo- only solution to the current pro- of all members of the Hotel Union . reign buyers in the Principality, Ra- blem is «that people can enter An- The rest are stopped with the shut- operational in our association, which mos warned that «it is true that the- dorra freely, both in and in ter down and the staff they have be- means more or less 15% of the total» re are foreign hotel chains that are without restrictions. For en able to maintain with ERTOs. On interested in the country and this our sector, the only solution is this, the other hand, he valued very po- is good news on the one hand. But any other in our opinion does not sitively the fact that all the hotel «Traditional families, who have been it has a negative side and it is that exist. « staff can take advantage of the ER- operating their businesses in Andorra for traditional families that have been Although he was positive about TOs, and recalled that the associa- operating their businesses in An- the vaccination process that is tion has already made this request many years, are forced to break away» dorra for many years, are forced to being carried out in the country, to the Ministry of Economy. Howe- get rid of them, because the situati- he commented that «it can already ver, he warned that «for now it is on has forced them «. be seen that as the number of vacci- very difficult for hotels that do not «Expenditures continue to a lesser extent Most of the establishments that nes provided advances, the conta- have a good financial saving from and there is no revenue for hotels» are still open are located in Andor- gion and the hospital pressure go previous years to be able to stay. Be- ra la Vella and Escaldes-Engordany, down, and I imagine that as the da- cause spending continues, albeit because in these parishes they do ta improve in neighboring countri- to a lesser extent, and there is no not depend so much on ski tourism es, they will give the green light to hotel revenue. « Although he ack- and bring together other types of mobilize their citizens to the Prin- nowledged that extending the ER- tourists. From the Hotel Union ex- cipality. TOs by 75% to the entire workfor- plained that «these few hotels that Finally, he explained that his fo- ce is a measure they needed, Ramos remain open have their peak occu- recast for a return to «normalcy» is also made it clear that it is insuffi- pancy on weekends, where they can at the earliest in the summer. H www.elperiodic.ad MONDAY, 22 FEBRUARY 2021 el Periòdic News 2

TRANSPORT

to be able to start proposing flig- ht possibilities. However, Andorra Andorra Airlines is just a step Airlines is now «a full-fledged com- pany because the plane and crew are now available to operate.» The best test and publicity for Soriano is «to have planted a plane of the away from taking off maximum possible capacity at An- MARICEL BLANCH dorra - La Seu Air- The company already port». Specifica- lly, the aircraft is has an aircraft at La an ATR 72 model Seu airport 500, a version of the most modern. Capacity can re- EL PERIÒDIC ach up to 78 peo- ESCALDES-ENGORDANY ple, but will vary @laiamoline with possible res- ndorra Airlines is wai- trictions for the ting for the approval of Covid-19. the airport authorities to The intention Astart operating in a week. is to be able to ha- This was announced yesterday by ve a weekly con- its top leader, Jorge Soriano. Af- nectivity with Ma- ter a long five years pursuing the drid, also to offer launch of flights between Andor- flights to , ra Airport - La Seu and the main Palma, and Por- Spanish and French cities, Andor- to, among other ra Airlines - formerly cities, as Soriano - already has a plane at the airport wanted to report. facility since yesterday morning. I n f a c t , i t w a s While it is true that the pande- what was initia- mic has not made things easy for lly planned with them due to the mobility restricti- the aim of linking ons imposed, the project has gone the Principality ahead. The plane, which they alre- with European ci- ady have, came without a passen- ties by offering an ger and with Canary Fly, although exit through the screen-printed by Andorra Airli- Andorran market nes. of residents and The facilities of Andorra-La Seu Airport. Canary Fly has only operated tourists. 33 in the Canary Islands so far, but The only thing thanks to this agreement betwe- JORGE SORIANO CEO ANDORRA AIRLINES ve to adapt to Covid moments and left to start flying is «an authori- en the two companies, it will be different needs that may arise in zation completely foreign to An- part of the project. The understan- «We believed that the best publicity was the future, but that the project is dorra Airlines», as its top manager ding is that Canary Fly will opera- no longer a project, it is a reality.» said. However, the start of flights te the flights but will be marke- to deploy an aircraft of the maximum Everything has been advanced on will also largely depend on «An- ted as Andorra Airlines. Soriano the initiative of the company, as dorra and its acceptance by the po- acknowledged that «they will ha- capacity that the airport allows us» they have been waiting a long time pulation and / or tourists». H

SCIENCE Crèdit Andorrà invests 100,000 euros in Sateliot

CRÈDIT ANDORRÀ The project will offer 5G rounds of financing up to a maxi- rie A, a first tranche of financing coverage to the world of mum investment of 500,000 euros that will be around five million eu- per company. ros and which already has the ma- things Crèdit Andorrà is one of the in- jority participation of European vestors in the first tranche of Sate- investors and funds. EL PERIÒDIC liot financing, which has closed Scale Lab Andorra is aimed at ESCALDES-ENGORDANY a convertible note of one million innovative (‘start-ups’) or techno- Crèdit Andorrà has invested euros that will be used to finance logy-based companies in strategic 100,000 euros through its Scale its constellation of nanosatellites sectors for Andorra, such as health Lab Andorra business hyper-acce- that will provide 5G coverage to and well-being, sustainability, mo- leration program in the ‘start-up’ the universe from the internet of bility, financial services or leisu- Sateliot, a satellite telecommuni- things. re and sports, among others, with cations operator. This project will also incorpo- a validated and scalable business Through this program, the rate quantum security technolo- model. bank offers amounts ranging from gy for the secure exchange of in- The program provides support 100,000 euros per project with the formation. for the arrival of these, reports the option to participate in subsequent The ‘start-up’ is finalizing its Se- View of the earth from the space. ANA. 33 H