Emergency Aid Grant for Meliá Hotels International in Canary Islands

Overview

The Canary Islands government has approved a 45,000-euro emergency aid grant for Meliá Hotels International to support recovery from economic setbacks caused by the 2024 volcanic eruptions in La Palma.

Purpose of Aid

• Support recovery of businesses affected by the eruption aftermath.
• Focus on sectors with complete and sustained activity interruption due to:
  • Toxic gas emissions
  • Other eruption-related hazards.

Review and Eligibility

• The decision followed a review process verifying:
  • The location of eruptions.
  • The impact on various establishments.
• Some applicants were rejected because:
  • Their premises were outside the exclusion zones.
  • Their activities were not sufficiently impacted.

Funding and Requirements

• The aid is funded from regional disaster relief budgets.
• Recipients must:
  • Provide ongoing documentation.
  • Cooperate with control audits.

Goals and Significance

• The aid aims to help affected tourism and hospitality businesses stabilize and resume operations.
• This support underscores the regional authorities’ proactive approach to:
  • Mitigating economic hardship.
  • Assisting businesses in rebuilding amid ongoing volcanic activity.

Context

This initiative highlights the Canary Islands’ commitment to supporting economic resilience in a region highly prone to volcanic eruptions, ensuring affected businesses have the necessary resources to recover.