For a travel agency to operate legally, it needs, among other things, a valid insurance policy, which must be renewed every year. Agencies are also required to send a copy to the ANT every time they renew the policy, thus proving that they continue to operate legally.
Currently, there are 3,018 theoretically valid licenses in Romania, granted after 2010 by the tourism authorities to agencies. Among them, 1,533 agencies have not yet provided proof that they hold an insurance policy, stated George Boruna, the general director of the General Directorate of Control and Authorization within the National Authority for Tourism, ANT.
The ANT director considers that if they haven’t sent the insurance to the ANT, perhaps those firms have closed and haven’t notified the authorities or, more seriously, they continue to operate without insurance, therefore illegally.
If the agencies have the policy and haven’t sent it yet, they do not risk receiving fines, but they appear on the ANT list, and tourists might avoid them.
However, if the authorities discover that the insurance is missing, the agencies risk having their license revoked and being fined.
Boruna stated that to protect themselves, the first thing a tourist should do when entering an agency is to check that it holds a license and an insurance policy. These must be mandatorily displayed on the wall, in plain sight.
Tourists can also find information on the ANT website, turism.gov.ro, in the „public information” section, where the list of licensed agencies is published.
„By the end of the summer, I must have a very clear situation. If the agency does not provide proof during this time, it must redo its license from scratch, even if it later comes with a valid insurance,” stated the ANT director.
Source: Profit
Frequently Asked Questions
What documents should I look for in a travel agency?
You should look for a valid tourism license and an insurance policy, both of which must be displayed prominently on the agency’s wall.
How can I verify if a travel agency is operating legally?
You can check the official list of licensed agencies on the National Authority for Tourism (ANT) website at turism.gov.ro under the “public information” section.
What happens if a travel agency operates without insurance?
Agencies operating without valid insurance risk having their licenses revoked and facing significant fines from the authorities.