The Bulgarian Ministry of Tourism's proposed amendments to the Law on Tourism open wide the doors to the gray sector, create an opportunity to mislead consumers, distort the market and put tour operators who organize tourist trips at a disadvantage. This was announced by three of the organizations in the industry - the association "Future of Tourism" (OBT), the Bulgarian Association of Travel Agencies (BATA) and the association "Tourism" on the occasion of the legal changes announced at a public hearing by the Ministry of Tourism, writes "Now .bgnews".

They are dissatisfied with the proposed legal amendments that provide for the creation of a Tourist Guarantee Fund to cover the losses of clients of tour operators in bankruptcy. However, the draft law introduces a new legal entity – tour operator B, which does not work with end customers, but sells to other tour operators and therefore has no obligation to make contributions to the new guarantee fund.

This is exactly what caused dissatisfaction among ordinary tour operators who organize travel arrangements and sell them to end customers.

The new legal entity, although it is not an organizer of tourist packages, is called a "tour operator" and this creates conditions for the consumer to be misled," commented lawyer Marija Krasteva.

The industry is also unhappy that the option proposed by the Ministry does not have essential requirements for tour operator B, such as office, staff, educational qualifications, liability for tax purposes. The Ministry of Tourism replied that all opinions and comments received during the public hearing on the legal amendments will be considered.