The Ministry of Economic Development and Trade of Ukraine has promulgated a draft law that proposes raising financial support for tour operators by 10 times and introducing fines for illegal use of categories by hotels.
According to the text of the draft law posted on the ministry’s website, the amount of financial provision for a tour operator should be at least 5% of the annual sales volume for the previous year, but not less than EUR 200,000 for the operator offering outbound tourism services (against EUR 20,000 in current legislation), not less than EUR 100,000 for tour operators of inbound and domestic tourism (against EUR 10,000), not less than EUR 50,000 for operators of domestic tourism. At the same time, financial support for travel agents must be at least 5% of the annual sales volume, but not less than EUR 20,000.
The size of guarantees for newly established tour operators is equal to the lower threshold depending on the chosen type of tourism, or EUR 10,000 per travel agent.
The Ministry of Economic Development and Trade also proposes stipulating fines for violators of tourism legislation, in particular, for illegal use of tourist infrastructure categories and not providing tourist entry and departure under the contract in the amount of 100-500 non-taxable minimum incomes of citizens, and for repeated violations during the year some 800-1,000 non-taxable minimum incomes of citizens.
FINANCIAL SUPPORT, TOUR OPERATORS, UKRAINIAN MINISTRY
