Luxembourg entered a partial lockdown just over a week ago, in which restaurants, bars and cafés were forced to close their doors once more. Last weekend resulted in uproar after shoppers crowded into stores despite ongoing restrictions, with Horesca representatives pointing out that Black Friday and the subsequent sales have benefitted all sectors except hospitality.
In an open letter addressed to ministers, Horesca have called for clear measures to be introduced as means of supporting those in the hotel, restaurant and café industry.
Companies in the sector are now having to pay social charges and VAT arrears, despite little or no revenue, while their costs are piling up. For Horesca, the situation is not tenable and will lead to many businesses closing down.
In their open letter, Horesca said it was not fair that the sector had been forced to shut down despite large investment in hygiene measures, and pointed out that the hospitality sector had not been a hotspot for the virus spread.
The federation has requested the following measures:
- the State should cover the fixed costs during partial lockdown;
- the extension of the validity of the accommodation vouchers worth 50 euros for a period of twelve months;
- the establishment of a moratorium for the payment taxes and social charges;
- the implementation of a measure similar to short-time working for apprentices;
- a return to the 3% VAT rate for all products and services in the sector for the year 2021.
