Slovenian spas have been closed since the middle of the month due to the coronavirus epidemic, and estimate “an alarming 30-35% loss of revenue this year”, Association of Slovenian Natural Spas director Iztok Altbauer has told the STA. “Nobody knows how we’ll cover such a loss of revenue.”
With every day of closure, they incur more than 100,000 euro in loss of income a day. If the crisis lasts more than a month and the revenue drops by more than 10%, Altbauer said layoffs should be expected.
The association has thus asked its members to come up with proposals for measures that could help tourism companies survive, he explained.
One of the proposals sent to the government is the Austrian aid model, which entails EUR 1,000 a month for a tourist worker, as well as other liquidity, employment and marketing measures.
Terme Olimia marketing director Vasja Čretnik meanwhile told the STA the company had had good results until mid-March, so he believes it will weather the crisis.
The situation could however turn sour if the spas were to be closed for a year. “The situation is hard but we are ready for it. Some workers have temporarily been laid off.”
Although practically all bookings for Easter holidays have been cancelled, Terme Olimia still has some 200 bookings from Italians, but assumes they have been unable to cancel them yet due to the coronavirus emergency.