On Tuesday, the State Duma held a meeting at which the first reading of the new government bill was heard. From January 1, 2021, the Russian Federation plans to develop a Unified Federal Register of Travel Agencies.
It indicates that only those agencies that will be included in a single directory will be able to work in the tourism business. Registration in it will be mandatory and free. The operator is obliged to enter information about the travel agent in the register of tour operators using an electronic form or in a personal account provided by the system of the register of tour operators. Also, within 3 days, changes must be made to terminate the contract with the travel agency or other information regarding its activities. Travel agents have the right, after agreement with the tour operator, to conclude a subagent agreement and enter information about the agent into the system. The tourist receives true and timely information about the right to sell the product belonging to the given tour operator by the travel agent.
The attached explanatory note states that at the moment there are about 30 thousand travel agencies operating on the territory of the Russian Federation. These do not include legal entities and individual entrepreneurs. They do not have direct contracts with travel agencies. For this reason, as Dmitry Medvedev noted during his tenure as prime minister, it is not possible to track their activities. Having received money for the allegedly provided services, they disappear from sight. A similar situation developed in 2021 and 2021, when the main travel booking centers ceased their activities. The legislation does not provide for compensation mechanisms for losses due to the termination of the work of such centers. Then not only ordinary citizens suffered, but also travel agencies.
It is supposed to give Rosturizm authority to organize and maintain the register. The Ministry of Economic Development will need to determine the procedure according to which cooperation between tour operators and travel agencies will be determined.
Travel agencies that have entered into agreements with tour operators (including legal entities and individual entrepreneurs) have the right to continue activities within 180 days from the beginning of the entry into force of the resolution. During this period, tour operators are given the opportunity to enter in a single register all the necessary information about travel agents and persons equated to them.
