The situation created following the suicide of the owner of Omnia Turism SRL is complex, and the Ministry of Tourism is seeking solutions for several problems created by the freezing of the agency’s bank accounts immediately after the news of his death was broadcast in the media.
In an initial action, the Minister of Tourism, Mr. Mircea Dobre, managed to find some solutions, together with representatives of ANAT, MAI, and MAE, to bring back to the country a group of 80 Romanians who purchased tourist packages from this agency, and advised all those who have packages bought through Omnia Turism not to depart on those trips, as the agency’s accounts have been frozen by banks, making payments impossible.
To date, a total loss of EUR 7.4 million has been calculated, money already collected by the Omnia Turism agency from the sale of 8,300 packages for 2018, with a total value of approximately EUR 11.4 million.
In the statement, the ministry specified that an inspection of this agency was initiated on September 6, 2017, and the agency owner was invited on September 8 to personally appear at the Ministry of Tourism with a series of documents. No one from Omnia Turism appeared, which is why another inspection was carried out at the agency’s headquarters on October 5, when a fine of 2,000 RON was applied. The company owner was issued a new invitation to appear at the Ministry of Tourism headquarters with the company’s documents on October 17, 2017, at 11:00 AM. The consequences of non-appearance would have consisted of a new fine and the revocation of the license within the legal timeframe.
Following the bankruptcies of several travel agencies recorded in the last 2 years, the Ministry of Tourism promoted a draft Government Ordinance in August, adopted on August 30, 2017, which created the necessary legal framework for establishing financial mechanisms to guarantee tourist packages, in the sense of obliging agencies that sell tourist packages to insure the entire volume of sales.
In the coming days, the Ministry of Tourism will continue to seek ways to resolve as many of the problems created by the Omnia Turism agency as possible.
Source: Capital
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened to the Omnia Turism agency?
Following the owner’s suicide, the agency’s bank accounts were frozen, leaving thousands of tourists without paid services and generating a loss of over 7 million euros.
What does the Ministry of Tourism recommend to Omnia Turism customers?
The Ministry advises tourists not to depart on scheduled trips, as payments to partners cannot be made due to the frozen accounts.
How will such situations be avoided in the future?
The Government adopted an Ordinance requiring travel agencies to insure their entire sales volume, thereby guaranteeing tourist packages in case of insolvency.