COVID-19: measures taken in Occitanie to support the tourism sector
14/05/2020

Occitanie: COVID-19 responses to support the tourism sector (Update 03/06)

    Thomas Guillot
  • 14/05/2020

Region Occitanie adopted its first regional response plan (on April 3rd 2020) facing the current sanitary, economic and social emergency, with an initial budget of € 250 million to mitigate impact on SME’s to avoid bankruptcies, unemployment and to anticipate crisis recovery and summer holidays.

This plan is completing the national measures taken by the French government and adapts them to the regional situation.

The regional measures targeting the tourism sector aim at:

- Assisting the workers on temporary unemployment benefit by facilitating distance learning
- Supporting enterprises cash requirements and investments
- Anticipating the conditions for crisis recovery and business resumption

Regional proximity service:

- Toll-free telephone number providing support to enterprises
- Concertation with institutional partners and French government representatives

Highlight of the Occitanie's measures

OVERCOMING LIQUIDITY

- Suspension of regional advances reimbursement
- Exceptional solidarity fund in addition to the one set up by the government for independent workers and micro enterprises (up to 10 employees)
- Funds for struggling businesses employing more than 10 workers – COVID612 crisis cash flow mechanism
- Regional guarantee fund for liquidity support, completing the corresponding national mechanism

TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE

- Legal aid for financial support to enterprises in order to cover legal and consulting costs, subject to specific conditions
- Financial support to training organisations which set up distance learning platforms for temporary unemployed workers

RECOVERY PLAN

NEW! the Euroregion, which brings together the Balearic Islands, Catalonia and Occitanie is implementing a COVID-19 action plan with the specific objective: "Euro Region a secure, safe and resilient destination" with two main actions:

In the short term:

- Production of a Good Practices Guide concerning the adaptation to COVID-19 crises by the Tourism services providers
- Providing financial support to develop 3 pilot projects

In the medium term:

A cooperation between experts / researchers in the fields of economics, sociology and science to analyse the tourist practices of the citizens during the current crisis and to develop a strategy for a Secure, Safe and Resilient Euro Region, with the possibility and willingness to be transferable to other territories.

The region is working on setting up of a marketing plan focused on crisis recover

Other Information of Interest

Read all the details in the factsheet attached.

The entire scope of economic measures with a € 250 millions budget, not only for the tourism sector, are available in Occitanie's press release (in French).

Regional Information
Regional Department Involved
Région Occitanie - Tourism and Thermalism Department
Other Stakeholders Involved
Occitanie's Regional Tourisme Board
Project Information
Target Audience
Independent workers, Micro entreprises, SMEs, Employees (temporary unemployed workers)