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In the Czech Republic, an emergency has been imposed. This means that the government can, at any time, restrict the provision of services to any extent deemed necessary, which has already done. With effect from 14 March 2020 6.00 am to 24 March 2020 to 6.00 am, the government has prohibited the retail and sale of services. There are only a few exceptions to this ban, including an online sale exception. So how can travel agencies operate after March 16 2020?
In our experience, there are two types of travel agencies. Those who offer and sell tours exclusively online, and those that operate online and at the same time offer and sell tours in a physical store. The text of the government's crisis measure suggests that online vendors can "open" from Monday onwards, but a brick and mortar store can only be used to pay for or pick up an online service, and offering and selling tours or other services in the establishment is not possible. However, given that another government emergency measure of 15 March 2020 mandates the quarantine of the entire Czech Republic, a customer is not permitted to enter the travel agency premises anyway.
To sum up, travel agencies can sell online, they can also have an opened physical store. However, they cannot sell tours and offer services in the physical store. A customer who has purchased an online tour may only pay or pick up the contract documents at the physical store. However, as the customer cannot come to the physical store due to the quarantine ordered, in our opinion the opening of the shop does not make financial sense. The staff can still reach the office, even when teleworking (home-office) is recommended.
According to the Crisis Act, the state is obliged to compensate the damage caused to legal and natural persons due to the crisis measures. The provision also theoretically imposes restrictions on the activities of travel agencies. If you want to prepare for this option now, please contact us at info@holubova.cz.
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Jasper Brinkman
Jasper Brinkman
"Following a devastating hotel fire in Prague, the law firm Holubová advokáti, led by attorney Klara Dvorakova, successfully represented our extended family as a group of victims. The firm navigated complex international insurance and compensation laws to defend our rights.
I would like to acknowledge the extraordinary efforts the firm had to make to bring our case to a successful compensation under extremely difficult circumstances."
Stewarts
Stewarts
"A visit to her daughter in London turned Eva's life upside down when she says she stepped into a crossing on a green light but was hit by a car. Despite her remarkable bravery, she faced a long treatment due to fractures in her pelvis, and the associated limitations and pain are likely to persist for the rest of her life. Regular headaches and impaired concentration compound her challenges.
Eva contacted us through an organization temporarily helping her manage her difficult living situation. At that time, she was destitute, relying only on subsistence payments. We were able to assist her because we specialize in personal injury and have contacts with proven colleagues abroad.
We worked with Stewarts, a UK law firm, on this case. Attorneys Klára Dvořáková and Rebecca Huxford helped Eva with the documentation in her case, explaining her options and the differences between the Czech and British systems of healthcare and social benefits reimbursement. Within a few months, thanks to the professional cooperation between the two offices, an offer of compensation from the insurance company of approximately CZK seven million was achieved. The client accepted this settlement because she did not want to deal with courts in the United Kingdom.
Subsequently, we assisted the client with related tax issues and contacted Auditone, a tax consultancy firm, which arranged for the filing of a tax return. Compensation for lost income is taxable, unlike most personal injury compensation.
'No one has done as much for me as you,' Eva said.
The fact that we were able to help Eva gives our work meaning and brings us great joy. We are very happy that, thanks to our many years of active involvement in the international professional organization PEOPIL, we can cooperate on such cases."