Informes Sectoriales OP - Icex

TOURISM AND RELATED SERVICES IN BULGARIA
Conditions are created for decentralized management of tourism by delegating
rights and obligations to various tourist business associations (participation in
the categorization of facilities, participation in the licensing of persons for tourist
activities), while observing the professional code of ethics, maintaining the quality
of the tourist services, and ensuring fair competition in the tourist industry.
• A National Tourist Information Centre is established with the main tasks of implementing
the national promotional program and coordinating the activities of
regional and local tourist information centers.
• Detailed provisions are included to regulate the conditions for the performance of
tourist activities, i.e. tourist agency activities, operation of hotels and restaurants,
tour operator activities in connection with the protection of consumers of
tourist products.
• New rules are introduced in connection with the issuance of licenses for tourist
activities, the refusal to issue such licenses, their suspension and withdrawal, as
well as the categorization of tourist facilities, the refusal to assign a category, and
the suspension and withdrawal of the category of tourist facilities. This is a way
to ensure clarity and transparency in the licensing process, which is in the best
interests of both the tourist business and the government.
• The existing licensing arrangements are liberalized. The law has expanded the
scope of persons eligible to apply for tourist licenses. The system for categorization
of tourist facilities has been made easier. All these features create greater incentives
not only for the development of tourist services but also for the upgrading
of their quality.
• Amendments to the Act have introduced mandatory insurance of tour operators
to cover the liability for damage occurring as a result of non-payment to counterparts,
including cases of insolvency and bankruptcy. Thus the mandatory requirements
set out in Directive No. 90/314 of the European Union on tourist
travelling at a common price have been met.
• An Integrated Tourist Information System is established and the National Tourist
Register is incorporated in it. Entries into the Register are made administratively
without any applications served for this purpose. The system is introduced for
the sake of greater clarity with regard to the entities operating on the tourist
market.
• The Additional Provisions set out the definitions of the terms used in accordance
with the definitions of the World Tourism Organization and the legislation of the
EU Member States.
Regulation for tourist sites categorization (SG 95, 2002) and Regulation for the issuance
of licenses for tour operator and tour agent activities (SG 93, 2002) were
adopted.
In 2005, several main priorities were shaped within the state tourism policy – encouragement
of local and regional initiatives, and stimulation of public-private partnerships.
The expected result is decentralisation via the co-operation among state
and local authorities, trade associations and the private sector.
In end-2005, the Council for Economic Growth (an advisory body) recommended the
creation of Bulgaria’s Advertising Strategy, aimed at attracting more foreign investment
and more tourists.
In November 2005, the parliament adopted at second reading some amendments in
the Tourism Act. According to them, tourist services for Bulgarians and foreigners on
Bulgaria’s territory must be offered at identical prices. This decision was prompted
Spanish Economic and Commercial Office of the Spanish Embassy in Sofia 30