Tourism players get involved in the health crisis

" Is there a doctor on board? ". It will no doubt be some time before we hear this urgent invitation from the captain of a commercial aircraft. As a result, Lufthansa has just released its employees who took a medical training so that they can volunteer for a specific job in a healthcare establishment. All this while having their full salary paid by the airline group.

Particularly hard hit by a spate of cancellations and an unprecedented drop in business, the tourism industry is taking action. against all odds and put themselves at the service of the common good. Following the French President's speech, Olivier Roux, President of the Union française des métiers de l'événement (UNIMEV), sent a letter to the Prime Minister assuring him of "the support of the French government in the fight against fraud and corruption". the total mobilisation of the events industry. "In this context, many managers are proposing to open their doors to the health authorities in order to " to make up for the shortage of places they are likely to face. "

In a tweet, Viparis announced " make its infrastructure available to the health authorities "and is discussing with the public authorities the provision of Paris Expo Porte de Versailles and the Espace Champerret. In all, around thirty players displayed their support for this initiativeThese include another key player in the sector, GL Events, and most of the convention venues in France's major cities and secondary towns, from Agen and Bordeaux to Tours and Strasbourg.

In addition to these potential facilities, Unimev is promoting " the wide range of operational skills that can be deployed in other event-related professions, particularly in terms of security, transport, temporary facilities, flow management, etc. "One potentially useful expertise to help the government and health authorities.

With all its rooms available to accommodate patients and nursing staff, the hotel industry is also in demand. So, while Emmanuel Macron envisaged, in his speech, the mobilisation from taxis and hotels for the benefit of nursing staff, to provide them with ". peace of mind when travelling and resting "Contacts have been made between Accor and theAP-HP and provincial hospitals to study how the group could help the health services. Visit 24 Marchthe hotel group has announced the launch of a telephone platform called CEDA ("Coronavirus Emergency Desk Accor"), aimed at centralising accommodation requirements not only for the nursing staff but also disadvantaged populations. On Tuesday, there were around forty establishments representing the hotelF1, ibis budget, ibis, ibis styles, Mercure and Novotel brands, with a capacity of 1,000 to 2,000 beds nationwide. The Accor group has also worked with the AP-HP to integrate staff needs into the CEDA platform, in order to provide an accommodation solution close to their place of work. " During this period, the commitment of our owners and our teams is exemplary and we are doing everything we can to provide the best possible response to accommodation needssays Group CEO Sébastien Bazin. At a time when our country is struggling to contain a health crisis on an unprecedented scale, Accor is at the side of those who need to be protected and those on the front line protecting us.. "

At the same time, Virtuoa pioneer in paperless car hire, has announced the free of charge 50 cars in Paris and 50 in the regions (Aix-en-Provence, Avignon, Bordeaux, Lille, Lyon, Marseille, Nantes, Nice, Toulon, Toulouse) to make it easier for nursing staff to get around 24 hours a day.

Similarly, in Spain, the Madrid Hotel Association has teamed up with the Regional Community to provide it with 9,000 beds in over 40 hotels. " The main function of these hotels will be to accommodate patients who present symptoms and require medical attention but do not need to be hospitalised, both at the start of the illness and in its final phase." said the region and the hotel association in a statement. On the morning of 19 March, the Gran Hotel Colon, owned by the Ayre group, began to welcome hospital staff, a choice explained by its location ten minutes' walk from the Gregorio Maranon hospital, one of the largest in the Spanish capital. One of the Spanish capital's biggest carriers, the Marriott Auditorium, will also be converting to healthcare hospitality.

In the UK, the Secretary of State for Health, Matt Hancock, suggested earlier this week in an interview with the BBC that empty hotels could be used by the national community. This suggestion was well received, particularly by the British Best Western and other hotel chains, or by Chelsea Football Club, which is offering toaccommodation for care staff from North West London hospitals in the Millennium Hotel adjacent to its Stamford Bridge stadium. All this for a period of two months, at the expense of the club's owner, billionaire Roman Abramovitch. Similarly, former Manchester United footballers Ryan Giggs and Gary Neville are closing the doors of their two Manchester establishments - the Football at Old Trafford Hotel and the Stock Exchange - on 22 March to offer their rooms to NHS doctors and nurses. On the other hand, one of their former team-mates, and no less so than Cristiano Ronaldo, has denied the rumour that he is making his house available to the NHS. hotel Pestana CR7 in Lisbon.

In response to the pandemic spreading across the United States, the New York authorities are also planning to convert hotel establishments into makeshift hospitals, primarily for welcome patients who do not have the virusminor problems". but who need care "As Deanne Criswell, Commissioner of the City of London, put it New York in charge of emergency management. The Jacob K. Javits Convention Centre could also be transformed into a hospital. And that's probably not all. While the city is looking for 7,000 beds to accommodate patients, there is also talk of using car parks and cafeterias as care units. Also in the United States, the cruise company Carnival is going to use some of its boats to accommodate patients not affected by Covid-19.