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The Association of Travel Agencies of Serbia (UTAS) and the Association of Independent Travel Agencies of Serbia (ANTAS) estimate that tomorrow, November 1, some 4,000 tourist workers will lose their jobs, although the associations warned in time of all the problems derived from travel agency blockades of more than one month.
Although they indicated in the statement that the authorities generally did not respond to the letters, they again called on the corresponding ministry to urgently solve the problem of the blockade, adding that the possibilities of the agencies going bankrupt en masse increase and thus “leave to passengers without replacement trips. “
UTAS and ANTAS also say that the competent ministry finally approved the regulation “without the participation of the profession”, which is “completely inapplicable in practice”, that is, bank guarantees as a condition for the continuation of the legal business.
“Agencies are doing everything they can to survive in the market and thus provide replacement trips. Most agencies have had to lay off a good chunk of workers or will do so soon, but all cost cuts are insufficient if legal continuation and sale of travel arrangements is not permitted. ” , stated in the ad.
UTAS and ANTAS also asked insurance companies to announce whether they will pay damages to passengers who do not receive replacement trips, “because most of the agencies cannot continue to operate under current conditions.”
“Insolvency policies, which are a legal condition for organizing travel, are not even offered to most agencies, so they are still inaccessible to us. Also, the prices are unrealistically high because the agencies will certainly not achieve a billing. meaningful soon, “believe UTAS and ANTAS.
It is added that all the associations of travel agencies and guides in Serbia requested from the new Minister of Commerce, Tourism and Telecommunications, Tatjana Matić, an urgent reception to redress the problems and find an acceptable solution for the continuation of the business of the agencies.
“The current legislation and procedures of insurance companies favor large agencies instead of allowing free competition in the market under equal conditions for all participants. We cannot allow that because it would close smaller agencies, mostly family-owned , which have been a pillar of safe and reliable travel for decades, “he concludes. in the statement.
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