France

Tax applicable on CDD contracts Under Art.51 of 2020 budget there is a new tax imposed on short-term limited contracts (CDDs). Whilst this would not affect auto-entrepreneurs it would affect those contracted as short-term workers (as opposed to freelance). We are in contact with Entreprises du Voyage in France who are already in dialogue with government, and will provide further updates as necessary. 

Strike: Disruption due to the strike in France is continuing. Public transportation is disrupted and some museums have amended their opening hours. We continue to update our Paris page. 

Paris – Seine high tide: Due to high tide and strong currents today, some docking points are not in use. We advise members to contact local partners as this may affect itinerary. 

Paris – inbound visitor numbers: For most recent information on 2019 visitor flows by origin market to Paris versus 2018, please see latest report from OTCP. 

Paris – Pass autocar: We have been informed by Paris city hall that they will increase controls around illegal coach parking in the city in 2020 as many coaches parking or dropping off illegally. If you would like to read more about the Pass autocar coach parking permit in Paris, click here. 

Paris – Pompidou centre: It has been confirmed that the Pompidou centre will not close in 2020 during the renovations, but that there may be some changes to entrance points. From 2020 school groups with children under the age of 18 are only allowed to visit in the morning before 11 am, all other groups will only be allowed after 11 am. More information here. 

Germany Berlin – ULEZ: From end of November 2019, a ‘Diesel Fahrverbot’ has been implemented on parts of 8 streets where diesel vehicles must be Euro 6. Further information on which streets can be found on our Berlin webpage.  

Italy 

Naples – coach access: Until 5 January, the city of Naples has banned access to the historical centre for coaches with over nine seats. Transfers for clients to hotels, airport, ports etc. are exempt from the ban. More information here. 

Amalfi coast – traffic plan 2020: Our understanding is that there will be changes to the access and direction of traffic on the Amalfi coast from Positano to Vietri sul Mare from 1 April 2020. More information about the regulation (in Italian) can be found here (page 6-7 contain important information). We are seeking more information and clarification and will update our Italy page when possible. 

Netherlands

Amsterdam – guiding: The public consultation for the draft policy plan (proposed to commence 1 April 2020) ended on 15 December. ETOA contributed with a written submission. You can read our submission and details about the proposed plan here. 

Amsterdam – New Year’s Eve traffic closures: As previous years, there are road closures in Amsterdam on New Year’s Eve including the Waterlooplein – Blauwbrug – Amstel-Rokin-Dam route (from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m.). Map of coach closures here. Furthermore, Amsterdam public transportation stops at around 8 pm on New Year’s Eve, and only limited bus services resume around midnight. More information here. 

Amsterdam – coach access 2020: We have just received the 2020 Amsterdam coach brochure with information about closures, parking and available routes. Click here to find the link to the brochure.  

Spain

Barcelona – low emission zone. There will be a new low emission zone in Barcelona effective 1st January 2020. Further information is available here. Our current understanding is that there is a one-year moratorium for coaches, so they must meet a minimum standard consistent with the DGT labelling system in Spain (minimum Euro 4) effective January 2021. Non-Spanish vehicles will not have a DGT label but must still register to access the restricted zone. We will publish further information in due course. 

Barcelona – Picasso museum: We understand that there are plans to introduce new booking procedures from the new year. The exact date is to be confirmed but we shall advise members here once we receive this information. New procedures are to include online booking with operator specific log-ins and payment 72 hours prior to arrival. 

Madrid – FITUR: Together with UIC and Renfe, ETOA will hold a workshop on 23 January 11am-1pm at FITUR “Sustainable Tourism + Rail: How Railways can contribute to face the challenges of Sustainable Tourism”. We invite members interested to learn more about developing products around rail tourism to join. Learn more here. 

United Kingdom

Edinburgh – Tourism strategy: The Edinburgh Tourism Strategy Implementation Group (SIG) are developing the Edinburgh Tourism 2030 Strategy via an 18 month, 3 phase development programme running from October 2018 to January 2020. ETOA submitted a response to the consultation. More information on our Edinburgh page.