Travel agencies seek relief from govt - paper

The Association of Hungarian Travel Agencies (MUISZ) has asked the government to extend payroll tax discounts and apply preferences for shortened working hours to the sector to reduce layoffs, business daily Vilaggazdasag said on Tuesday. MUISZ wants the payroll tax discounts - which expired on June 30 - extended until February 28. MUISZ president Judit Molnar told the paper that the travel agencies are expected to lose 80 percent of their annual revenue in 2020, while keeping 80-85 percent of their staff on payroll during the past four months. However, as the outlook for winter travel remains bleak - with many usually popular destinations designated "red", or not recommended for travel, because of their rates of coronavirus infections - the crisis in the sector could grow worse without government intervention, she said.