El Corte Inglés, Nautalia y Perk impugnan el concurso de agencias de viajes del Gobierno

The travel agencies El Corte Inglés, Nautalia Viajes, and Perk have challenged a centralized contract for travel agency services, valued at €604.8 million, at the Central Administrative Tribunal in Spain. The contract, which covers rail, air, and sea travel for government entities, is estimated to be worth €189 million in the first 18 months, with potential modifications of 20% and a further 378 million euros for extension.

The companies argue that the tender document contains multiple serious infringements, including unjustified cost structures, illegal linear discounts on air tickets, and zero-cost travel insurance improvements. They claim some clauses force them to bid at prices that do not cover real costs or eliminate commercial margins. Additionally, they point out that the contract demands operations that are practically impossible to fulfill, due to either transportation companies' practices or intermediary tour operators' capacity limitations, which would result in sanctions if breached.

The companies also contend that the tender contains clauses that violate laws in other sectors, such as data protection, insurance markets, and the International Air Transport Association's regulations. The contract is divided into five lots, each allocated to specific government ministries. If no changes are made, the deadline for submitting offers is September 16.

Travel agencies express disappointment that the government did not conduct a preliminary market consultation to gather feedback from companies, as required by law, to avoid this challenge and the associated costs.