The new draft law on tourism does not contain proposals that create an additional financial burden on existing tour operators. This was stated by the head of the Federal Tourism Agency Zarina Doguzova, reports TASS.
“The proposals contained in the draft new law on tourism will not lead to an increase in prices for tours, since the cost of tourism services will not change. At the same time, the bill greatly increases the security of tourists’ funds,” the head of the department explained.
She noted that the bill, on the contrary, proposes to release tour operators from the need to insure their liability. They will make contributions only to a single fund of collective responsibility, and not to a collective and personal one, as is happening now.
Doguzova explained that now, for example, anyone can purchase insurance for 25 thousand rubles. with insurance coverage of 500 thousand rubles. and become a tour operator. Then you can sell tours for several million rubles and close, leaving tourists without tickets and money.
Therefore, Rostourism proposes to set the amount of insurance coverage at the level of 25 million rubles, since it is equal to the average annual turnover of a small tour operator. This will be an additional guarantee of reliability and solvency. But if the company does not yet have funds, then it can start working in the format of travel agency activities with a further opportunity to enter the market of tour operators.
The main innovation in the law on tourism is compensation for each tourist in the amount of 40 thousand rubles. for the canceled tour. That is, travelers in the event of bankruptcy of a travel company can count on the minimum guaranteed compensation.
On February 10, it was reported that the new law on tourism could increase the burden on tour operators and lead to an increase in prices for travel in Russia by up to 20%. The discussion of the draft law on tourism took place on the government portal from December 29 last year to February 2, 2022. At the same time, the document received a huge amount of negative feedback.
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