Angered Tourists Demand Answers: Spain’s Tourism Sector Receives an Avalanche of Refund Requests and Complaints

Travel agencies, airlines, telecommunication companies and banks have all registered the greatest number of complaints from consumers since the beginning of the quarantine imposed as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

MORE than a third of all complaints from consumers have been directed towards airlines as they are accused of not giving out refunds for cancelled flights due to the fall in demand for flights and air traffic restrictions imposed by the coronavirus crisis.

Facua, the Spanish organisation dedicated to defending the rights of consumers has released a report which states that the tourism sector has received the highest number of complaints since the State of Alarm was decreed. Facua has specifically processed more than 16,000 queries related to this industry.

Since the beginning of the crisis, Facua has opened 805 different investigations, 37 per cent of which are linked to airlines. A further 21.7 per cent of these claims are linked to travel agencies for the same reason, not returning the money customers have spent on trips which have subsequently been cancelled as a result of the pandemic. Similarly, there are many complaints against hotels and activity organisations for dishing out excuses as to why they cannot return the money for events which will not be taking place.

In third and fourth place, 10.1 per cent of complaints have been directed to telecommunication companies, and 9.6 per cent towards financial entities. The telecommunication sector is receiving complaints in relation to the rise in tariffs for phone services during the quarantine, something that the government had prohibited.

Since the beginning of the State of Alarm the number of complaints received by Facua has increased by fivefold.