The National Authority for Tourism, ANT, has withdrawn the licenses of 1,384 agencies that failed to present a valid insurance policy regarding the reimbursement of repatriation expenses and amounts paid by tourists for the purchase of tourist services or packages.
From the date of publication, the economic operators listed can no longer carry out activities specific to travel agencies, according to legal provisions, the institution specifies.
The list of travel agencies that did not provide proof of holding a valid insurance policy regarding the reimbursement of repatriation expenses and amounts paid by tourists for the purchase of tourist services or packages, in case of insolvency or bankruptcy of the travel agency, as well as the content of the first notification to comply with the law, appears on the website www.turism.gov.ro.
After publishing the list, ANT returned and announced that, in fact, it involves 1,290 agencies, the remainder up to 1,385 being offices operating based on annexes to policies concluded by the parent agencies, cited sources say.
The list may cause confusion to some extent because ANT did not operate changes received from agencies, such as changes of headquarters or even the cessation of operation for some, the cited sources added.
The information comes in the context where the travel agency Christian Tour threatened to sue ANT and demand damages of 1 million EUR for including on that list company offices that were closed and deregistered, with activity moved to other buildings.
Currently, 1,854 travel agencies operate legally on the market, meeting the three necessary conditions, sources within ANAT stated.
Tourist packages already purchased from agencies that lost their licenses will be honored, and the agencies will no longer sell vacations, the cited sources specified.
Source: Mediafax
Frequently Asked Questions
Why were the travel agencies’ licenses withdrawn?
The licenses were revoked because the agencies failed to provide a valid insurance policy covering repatriation costs and tourist refunds in the event of insolvency.
Will existing vacation packages be honored?
Yes, according to industry sources, packages already purchased will be honored, but the affected agencies are prohibited from selling new services.
How many travel agencies are currently operating legally in Romania?
There are currently 1,854 travel agencies operating legally in Romania that meet all the necessary regulatory requirements.