The German consular offices and agencies in the south of Gran Canaria have mobilized with the hotel sector so that users benefit from the legal protection of travel insurance from the German Travel Insurance Fund (DRSF). In collaboration with the DRSF, if there is no coverage a return trip to the original departure point will be arranged. Travelers who are currently at their vacation destination and need assistance can contact the following emergency number: +49 (0)89 710 45 14 98
The Handelsblatt newspaper reported at the weekend that the German government had refused to pay aid to the struggling company. Both the Ministry of Finance and the Economy announced on Monday that the federal government no longer saw any possibility of avoiding the travel company's insolvency through another federal subsidy. "There are several reasons - budgetary, legal and economic - why more aid was not provided beyond the large amount of aid," a Finance Ministry spokesperson said.
The DRSF has created an emergency number for travelers who are currently at their vacation destination and need help. According to the German Foreign Ministry, the Travel Insurance Fund has committed to not abandon package tourists in destinations affected by the FTI's insolvency. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs itself also promised support to affected tourists..
A spokesperson for the ministry stated that they are in close contact with the German Travel Association and the DRSF through their crisis team to have a precise idea of the situation. However, according to the DPA news agency, the federal government does not expect an extensive state repatriation campaign, since the FTI is covered by the fund. The fund was launched in 2021. It was launched in 2019 following the bankruptcy of travel group Thomas Cook. It is organized by the German tourism industry and supervised by the Federal Ministry of Justice. In the Thomas Cook case, insurance only reimbursed a fraction of the costs due to a limitation of liability. The State had to intervene with millions.
