The Catalonian festival industry gets a breather

The regional government is providing relief to this important sector

Village fairs, trade fairs and themed festivals are the things that enliven a yearly calendar of any community and helps it rejoice, socialize, bond and engage in traditional revelries. This kind of events are especially important and held in high regard in Spain.

That is why the Government of Catalonia informed today that people and small business involved in that sector will get some relief in the form of subsidies in order to, at least partially, balance out what has been a terrible year of cancellations. Each beneficiary will be able to get 6000 euros, disbursed in a single payment.

This industry is particularly active during the summer and autumn months

Many festivals and amusement fairs have existed long before there was the concept of tourism and travel for leisure. These days, however, they are also intrinsically linked to the robustness of the tourism economy in a specific region or a country.

In Catalonia, for example, that sector employs some 5000 families, and given the heavy suspensions of activities in recent months, it is now clear that most of them are also struggling to survive. This puts in jeopardy the return to normality and the organization of festivals once the pandemic has been defeated.

The regional authorities have set aside 1.8 million euros, which will be disbursed through the Consortium of Commerce, Crafts and Fashion (CCAM) to the applicants.

In order to be eligible for the grant, industry freelancers and SMEs should be registered as entities paying tax on economic activities (IAE), be owners of attractions or catering companies working directly with the events, and must have been unable to carry out their professional work due to the events’ cancellations.

Applications must be submitted online through the CCAM’s website or through Canal Empresa, including a photograph of the attraction that is operated by the applicant and receipts for economic activity in 2019. Soon, the application process will start operating though an exact date has not been specified.