Minister of Trade, Tourism and Telecommunications Tatjana Matic said that the adoption of the Draft Law on Amendments to the RS Budget Law, which approved 150 million dinars for subsidies for insurance policy premiums to travel agencies, at today's session of the Serbian Government, a significant step was taken to help tourism sector during the Kovid-19 pandemic.

"The goal of this measure is to help travel agencies, and especially smaller travel organizers, who are most endangered during the crisis. "Tourism in Serbia, as well as in the whole world, is one of the areas most affected by the consequences of the pandemic, and the support of the state is necessary," said Minister Matić.



She reminded that the obligatory insurance policies of most travel agencies have expired, which leads them to lose their work licenses, while the epidemiological situation represents an additional risk factor that insurance companies take into account when contracting new policies.

"The travel guarantee system is certainly necessary in order for passengers to be protected, but in difficult working conditions for agencies, especially smaller ones, it represented large expenses that will be reduced by subsidies," the minister explained.

She also stated that the Government of Serbia had adopted measures to help tourism in the previous period, starting in March 2020, when, at the suggestion of the Ministry of Trade, Tourism and Telecommunications, it adopted the Decree on offering a replacement trip for a tourist trip that was canceled or not realized due to diseases KOVID-19, and thus prevented the bankruptcy of travel agencies and the dismissal of their employees, then providing favorable loans for liquidity and working capital from a special program of the Development Fund of the Republic of Serbia for small and medium enterprises and entrepreneurs, Grant Program for hoteliers from 68 places in Serbia and other economic measures to mitigate the negative consequences on the economy, which were also used by catering and tourism companies.

Source: Ministry of Trade, Tourism and
telecommunications