A bar terrace in Mérida, Extremadura on Friday. | Efe

TW
0

Restrictive measures applied to hospitality and other business sectors vary according to the region of Spain, as also does the level of financial aid. The spokesperson for a nationwide restaurant group says that there is confusion and that the situation is "baffling" for consumers. The different restrictions have an impact on a variety of issues, such as supplies and advertising.

Hostelería de Espana, the national confederation of bars, restaurants, cafés and pubs, estimates that the crisis will lead to a loss of a third of all establishments - from some 300,000 to 200,000. It is calling for a package of direct aid amounting to 8,500 million euros to support a sector which before the crisis contributed 6.2% of national GDP and employed 1.7 million people.

The different approaches to aid given by regional governments, as opposed to the Spanish government, mean that this aid ranges from 500 euros to 25,000 euros. Cantabria is making 500 or 1,000 euros available per establishment, while in Navarre there is a maximum limit of 25,000.

In Asturias, Catalonia and Galicia, the aid ranges between 1,500 and 9,000 euros. In the Basque Country it is 3,000 to 4,000; Murcia 3,000 to 10,000. The Balearic government has so far committed to 1,500 euros per month until March. Aragon provides 1,000 euros for bars and 3,000 euros for nightlife.

For the self-employed, Andalusia has a single payment of 1,000 euros, whereas La Rioja has a range of aid between 2,000 and 24,000 euros, which also includes small to medium-sized businesses. Castile-La Mancha has set aside 60 million euros, the Canaries 165 million, Valencia 160 million.