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Russia - Tourist business warned about the rise in price of tours due to the new law

Russia (bbabo.net), - After the adoption of the new law on tourism, tours may rise in price by at least 20%, small tour operators in the regions will leave the market, and the evacuation of tourists from abroad will be carried out at their own expense, representatives of the tourism industry believe . The public discussion of the bill developed by the Federal Tourism Agency will end on February 2, Rossiyskaya Gazeta got acquainted with the objections of the tourist industry. Representatives of the tourism industry are also preparing letters to the State Duma, the Federation Council, the Ministry of Economic Development, and Rostourism.

Rostourism submitted a draft law in December 2021. During the month of discussion, the document received more than a hundred reviews, approximately 98% contain criticism, said Yuri Barzykin, vice president of the Russian Union of Travel Industry, in an interview.

One of the key innovations of the bill is a new system of financial guarantees for tourists. The current personal liability funds for tour operators are proposed to be dissolved, and the reserve fund to be transformed. To pay compensation to tourists in the event of bankruptcy of tour operators and evacuate tourists from abroad will be at the expense of a single collective fund. Contributions to it will be transferred even by those tour operators that work only in the domestic market. Escrow accounts are offered as an alternative. In this case, the tour operator will be able to receive funds from the special account only after the tourist completes the trip.

To serve the new system of financial guarantees, tour operators will be forced to take loans, the Regional Union of Tourist Industry Enterprises - North-West notes. Interest costs in the amount of about 20% of the cost of the tourist product, tour operators will add to its cost.

A new concept of a tourist product will also lead to an increase in prices due to reduced competition and the departure of regional tour operators from the market, representatives of the tourist industry say. Rostourism proposes to consider as a tourist product not the transportation and accommodation of a tourist, as it is now, but a range of services, including hotel accommodation, as well as one or more services, for example, transportation of tourists to a place of rest, transfer to a hotel, excursions.

Tours can rise in price by 20%, while there will be less guarantees of the rights of tourists, the travel industry believes

In this case, any hotel that provides a transfer or excursions can become a tour operator. Tens of thousands of tour operators could appear in the country. But according to the bill, the amount of financial support for liability for tour operators of domestic and inbound tourism will increase 50 times - from 500 thousand rubles to 25 million rubles. Such expenses will significantly increase the cost of the tourist product. In addition, tour operators can go into illegal activities. Since transportation will no longer be a mandatory component of the tourist product, the need to finance the evacuation of tourists from abroad will also disappear, the Tourist Assistance Association points out.

Representatives of the industry are counting on the finalization of the bill. Rostourism did not respond to a request for the possibility of finalizing the document, taking into account the comments received.

Russia - Tourist business warned about the rise in price of tours due to the new law