In line with the Conclusion number 011-5044/2018 and Conclusion number 011-5045/2018 of the Council of Economy and Finances of Serbian Government of May 30, 2018, Ministry of Trade, Tourism, and Telecommunications is conducting the public hearing on the Draft Law on Tourism, and Draft Law on Hospitality to last in the period from 1 until 20 June, 2018.
The round table of this public hearing about the Draft Law on Tourism will be held in cooperation with Serbian Chamber of Commerce on Friday June 8, 2018, starting at 11 a.m. and finishing at 1:30 p.m., Resavska Street, no 15, room 1.
The round table within the public hearing about the Draft Law on Hospitality will be held in cooperation with Serbian Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday, June 19, 2018, starting at 11 a.m. and finishing at 1:30 p.m., Resavska Street no 15, room 1.
In the period of the public hearing there will be sessions of the National Council for Tourism Development to discuss and put forward the proposals of legal solutions.
Having in mind the regulation of the European Union, the regulation of developed touristic countries, the level of achieved development in tourism in the Republic of Serbia, and the needs of the economy, created conditions to systemically regulate these two economic fields with the two laws – Law on Tourism, and Law on Hospitality.
Draft Laws are the result of the status analysis in the touristic market and an overview of the issues faced by the stakeholders in tourism and hospitality, and by other entities performing the economic activity directly related to tourism.
Draft Law on Tourism should improve the business conditions for companies and protection of consumers’ rights in tourism. Reduction of grey economy is one of the priority tasks of the mentioned Draft. Also, in the light of further development of tourism in the Republic of Serbia, a need has been identified to improve the coordination of work of touristic organisations on all levels (central, regional, local) for a more efficient promotion, but also for achieving better synergy effects having in mind the limited budget funds.
As a priority task the Draft Law on Hospitality defines the need for a reduction of grey economy in hospitality. The mentioned draft will introduce a central information system in the field of hospitality and tourism as a single and centralised electronic information system, containing all relevant data about the accommodation service providers, and facility for accommodation, through which its registration is done and entrance of other data incurred from the performance of the hospitality, nautical, and hunting tourism. It regulates and collects, stores, processes, and uses personal data, rights of people and protection of people whose data are collected and processed, restrictions of personal data protection and security of data, in the manner defined by the law regulating personal data protection. Also, the drafted laws define that every renting of accommodation for a period shorter than 30 days will be considered as provision of hospitality service of accommodation.
Significant relief is introduced for physical entities, providers of accommodation services in the facilities of homecraft and village touristic households. Namely, the previous obligation of provision of services through mediators is abolished, as well as lump sum payment of the residence fee and other.
Furthermore, the two draft laws have been aligned with the applicable regulations of the European Union, Law on Inspection Surveillance (“Official Gazette of RS”, no 36/2015), and Law on General Administrative Procedure (“Official Gazette of RS”, no 18/2016), and with the Strategy of Tourism Development of the Republic of Serbia for 2016-2025.
