Over EUR 0.22 mln fines in tourism in June

The National Tourism Authority (ANT) applied in June 2015 contravention fines totalling over RON 1 million (EUR 0.22 million and 60 penalties with a warning. A tourism licence and 12 classification certificates for accommodation units were withdrawn.

The sum made up the most part of fines collected between January and June 2015, when fines reached over RON 1.4 million (EUR 0.31 million). During this period three tourism licences and 15 classification certificates were withdrawn. ANT conducted some 300 control actions, verified over 250 accommodation units, 225 units of catering and 73 travel agencies.

“ANT inspectors perform permanent control actions, but from June until mid September we decided to intensify them. We are in the middle of summer and it is normal for Romanian tourists to enjoy the best conditions, both in terms of accommodation and services. This concerns in particular holiday resorts – coastal, mountain and balneary resorts – widely known as holiday destinations,” said Mirela Matichescu, vice president of the National Tourism Authority.

The main issues found by the ANT inspectors were non-compliance with the obligations assumed under contract with tourists, failure to accomplish the criteria on which licenses have been issued, operation of accommodation and food without having the certificate of classification, failure to operate within category and / or type of tourist reception specified in the certificate of classification and functioning of the spaces with a different structure than the one in the classification certificate.

In June, ANT inspectors have issued 198 temporary permits for tourism accommodation units offering accommodation and catering, received 109 addresses completing documentation in order to obtain classification certificates for travel and leisure activities, issued 40 tourism licence certificates and 4 classification certificates. They have also authorized 42 expert certificates for touristic buildings.

During the first half of the year, ANT provided more than 1,000 provisional operating permits for structures with functions of tourist accommodation and catering, approximately 300 certificates for travel licenses, 21certificates and badges for travel guides, 39 classification certificates and expert certificates for over 100 constructions for tourism.

Natalia Martian