Madrid, (EFE).- The prices of Imserso trips for the 2023-2024 season will rise 7.5%, one point below what pensions have increased, and will give a greater margin to hoteliers and travel agencies trip, that they had asked for the update of the program.
According to the specifications published by the institute on the public sector recruitment portal on Monday, a total of 886,269 jobs will be offered (70,000 more than in this campaign), with a contribution of 71.7 million from Imserso.
A 7.5% increase in the programs is set, one point below what pensions have increased this year and the same amount by which the Imserso budget has increased for this year. Institute sources had already announced that the price increase would in no case be higher than that of retirement benefits.
Although there was room for an extension of the current contract, Imserso has chosen to launch a new tender after both hoteliers and travel agencies repeatedly complained about the low margin left by this program, which has left places unfilled.
The Imserso, says the document published today, has identified the need to adapt the social tourism program to the new demands of the elderly and to incorporate the perspective of different agents linked to the sector.
€318.7 million
The estimated value of the program (including both the public contribution and those of the users) added to the VAT reaches 318.73 million euros, of which the institute contributes 22.5% and the users the remaining 77.5% .
Lot one, for tourism on the peninsular coast, is the largest, with 443,887 places; followed by lot two, for island coasts, with 230,039 seats, and lot three, for circuits, provincial capitals and for Spanish citizens residing in Europe, with 212,343 seats.
The 70,000 new places are for lot three, that of circuits and provincial capitals, all of which are incorporated for the next campaign (there are 34 new ones, until the 52 are completed). Lots one and two maintain the same number of places for this season.
Between 124 and 436 euros
The prices from September will range from 124.7 euros for the four-day trip to provincial capitals (116 euros for the current season) to 436 euros for 10 days in the Canary Islands with transport (405.5 now). .
The 10-day trips to the Balearic Islands with transport included will cost 331.5 euros and those of eight days, 267.6 euros; those of eight days to the Canary Islands, 355.3 euros; six-day circuits, 293.1 euros; nature destinations, for four days, 286.8 euros, the same amount as Ceuta or Melilla for five days.
The displacements of the peninsular coast are distributed between Andalusia, with 160,589 places; Valencian Community (155,100 places); Catalonia (106,322), and Murcia (21,877).
On the insular coasts, there are 141,389 trips assigned to the Balearic Islands, and 88,650 to the Canary Islands. In lot three, the specifications include 207,715 trips in circuits, nature tourism and provincial capitals; and 4,682 trips for Spanish citizens residing in Europe.
The new specifications establish the possibility of two annual extensions of the program, until the 2025-2026 season, with a base budget for this first year of 71.69 million euros charged to Imserso.
The price will score 38% and there will be “unbral of satiety”
In the new tender, prices will score 38% and the quality of the proposal (transport marketing, types of hotels, accessibility…) the remaining 62%.
The specifications include a “satiation threshold” in relation to prices of 85% of the Bidding Base Budget (PBL) to “disincentivize” the submission of “mediocre” offers in the qualitative evaluation criteria.
If this body, collects the document, does not include this threshold and low offers are allowed “such as those that are usually produced”, between 20 to 30% of the PBL, “high” pressure can be generated on the operating account of the winning company, “which hinders and conditions the development of the services included in the program.”
Hoteliers now charge an average of 26.6 euros per person per day, and agencies receive 14 euros for each trip they manage, according to data from both unions, for which they had asked for improvements, especially in a scenario of high inflation like the one current.
In September 2021, the tender for the 2021-2022 season, extendable for two more, was awarded to Mundiplan (a joint venture of Iberia, IAG7 and Alsa), which took over lots one and two, corresponding to areas of the peninsular coast and insular, respectively, and Social Tourism (Ávoris), which was number three, for domestic tourism and European origin.
Until now, the current winners have announced their intention to participate in this contest, as well as Soltour, Ibersotar and Viajes el Corte Inglés.