Balgarianovinite.com The Association of Bulgarian Tour Operators and Travel Agents (ABTTA) supports the creation of a Tourism Guarantee Fund but has serious concerns regarding the respective bill in its version adopted at first reading. ABTTA warned in a position paper on Monday that there is a real risk of adverse consequences for businesses and significant difficulties in the practical implementation and administration of the future Fund by the Tourism Ministry.
Particularly problematic is the unequal treatment of tour operators in determining the mandatory financial guarantees, which leads to economically unjustified double coverage, including for B2B operators and inbound tourism. Since the purpose of the draft law is to protect the end customer and, above all, to ensure security for outbound travel, ABTTA insists that turnover with other tour operators and legal entities should be excluded when calculating mandatory contributions and insurance.
The Association also highlights the absence of minimum and maximum thresholds for the Fund’s accumulations, as well as the lack of a mechanism to take into account the financial stability and responsible behaviour of tour operators. According to ABTTA, this creates a risk that the Fund could become an unpredictable and permanent financial burden, without a clear link to real risk.
In this context, ABTTA proposes the introduction of a risk-oriented model, under which financially stable and responsible tour operators would benefit from relaxed conditions. The Association calls for the texts to be refined between the first and second readings so that the main objective of the law – protection of the end consumer – can be achieved without unduly burdening businesses and the strategically important tourism sector.
Last week, Parliament adopted at first reading amendments to the Tourism Act, which regulate the creation of a Tourism Guarantee Fund. The draft law had been delayed for years, and at first reading it was discussed by the relevant committee in Parliament in September last year. According to Tourism Minister Miroslav Borshosh, the Fund “will make the difference between the grey sector of tourism and those who operate honestly, paying their taxes, because registration in the Fund will be the only way for all competent authorities to verify whether a tour operator is in the legitimate sector.” Association Raises Concerns Over Tourism Guarantee Fund Bill 2026 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-02-09 16:18:19 Latest news World news Country news Most important news latest news most important latest of the day Justice Petar Nizamov Feathers Petar Nizamov- Feathers Justice bg iustitia.bg iustitia iusticia usticia investigation Burgas Bulgaria news news of the last hour news of the day news of today Bulgaria news The news from Bulgaria blitz news top news most important most commented latest news Boyko Borisov news weather coronavirus news news weather facebook youtube facebook instagram news today news of the last minutes news today today news news bg news leading news hot news bg news site for news all news news bg news of the last hour latest latest news bg news of today news today news today news of the last hour latest news today news bg news news 24 hours news vesti bg novini news world bird bg bivol bg bivol trud bg novini latest news today novinite bg news hello bulgaria political party coat of arms delyan peevski scandalous Bulgarian National Television Free Europe Television scandal exclusive live tv live right now tv tv online tv program bg live now tv news online tv online live court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas district court Burgas appellate court Burgas prosecutor Burgas prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev Prosecutor Geshev Tsatsarov Ministry of Internal Affairs Burgas ODMR Burgas ODPR Burgas police Burgas district police Burgas prosecutor Tsatsarov SGS cases Varna court chairman of the SGS court decisions on civil cases decisions on cases Plovdiv court decision of the court decisions cases Varna court criminal cases district district court decisions work in the court SGS chairman of the SGS judges Sofia court post judges Plovdiv court Plovdiv judges Plovdiv Supreme Court Inspectorate Supreme Court Supreme Judicial Council lawyer lawyer criminal cases lawyer civil cases lawyer marriage cases lawyer administrative criminal law criminal process civil law civil process administrative law constitutional law