Travel agents challenge Spanish state contracts
Spain’s travel agency trade body is stepping up its watch on public contracts that affect the sector. The Spanish Confederation of Travel Agencies (CEAV), led by José Manuel Lastra, agreed the move at its new executive committee’s first meeting in Madrid on 11 September 2026. The committee was formed after elections on 3 September.
CEAV says it will examine the terms of tenders issued by Spain’s central government, regional authorities and other public bodies. It plans to intervene where it believes the terms fail to offer travel agencies fair market conditions or reflect how the sector works.
The organisation has already filed a formal procurement challenge over the papers for CORA, the Spanish central government’s new centralised contract for travel agency services.
Its objections focus on how the contract is divided into lots and on a scoring rule for discounts applied to the billing of certain air services. CEAV says the basis for dividing the lots has not been properly justified, especially the financial requirements needed to bid for some of them.
It also says the tender does not clearly define the “public reference fare” on which the proposed discounts for air services would be calculated.
Lastra said public contracts represent an important volume of business. He argued that tenders should set suitable terms for firms of different sizes and specialisms across the travel agency sector.
Source: Europa Press / Mallorca.com