ARCHIVED - Struggling nightlife sector in Valencia region demands reopening of dance floors

The leisure and hospitality sector in Alicante and the rest of the region warn the situation is “critical”

Ahead of the regional government’s next review of anti-Covid restrictions once the current measures expire on September 27, the Business Coordinator of Leisure and Hospitality for the Valencian Community (CEOH) is demanding dance floors be reopened and an extension of opening hours until 5am.

The CEOH argues that in light of the positive health data – the region’s 14-day cumulative incidence rate has dropped to 65.45 cases per 100,000 people – “any measure less than this proposal is unfeasible for businesses which have suffered turnover losses of up to 90%”.

Since September 7, nightlife venues have been able to stay open until 3am, albeit with capacity restrictions and a ban on using the dance floor.

In a statement, the business organisation warns that the “taking into account the critical situation that the leisure sector is facing”, after 550 days without activity, it is “absolutely necessary” to plan a roadmap.

“Small businesses cannot move forward blindly in this de-escalation, because after 18 months of closure and severe restrictions, leisure venues are staking their future and their survival on the next few weeks,” said CEOH, adding that a roadmap is necessary in order to plan marketing campaigns and recover staff.

Specifically, the sector wants:

• Opening hours for late night bars and discos to be extended to 5am;
• Customers to be allowed to remain standing inside premises, whilst wearing a mask;
• Capacity to be extended to 75% indoors;
• Dancefloors to be reopened with 50% capacity;
• An extension of hospitality establishments’ opening hours to 1am.

CEOH added that it would be “paradoxical” to continue “punishing the regulated leisure establishments, demanding prudence and applying disproportionate restrictions... and failing to address the issue of youth leisure”.

Image: Archive