PUHOVAC: BILL EXPANDS ELIGIBILITY FOR TOURIST VOUCHERS

BANJA LUKA, APRIL 29 /SRNA/ – Republika Srpska Minister of Trade and Tourism Ned Puhovac says the Republika Srpska Government has defined today a Bill on Tourism which provides for tourist vouchers be also available to individuals who are not Srpska citizens.

Puhovac says this expands the group of people eligible to use tourist vouchers, adding that citizens of Serbia, Croatia, and the FBiH will also be able to use them in the future. He explained that the Bill on Tourism also regulates the travel agencies field. "At public consultations, most objections came from travel agencies that complained about associations taking their clients. These associations were organising tours but were not required, like travel agencies, to be part of the official system. We have now changed that, so associations can only guide people who are on their membership lists. Therefore, they cannot generate any profit," Puhovac said at a press conference following the Government session in Banja Luka. Speaking about the professionalization of staff, Puhovac noted that under the proposed law, rafting guides /skippers/ will have to pass a significantly more demanding exam to obtain a skipper’s license. He added that the Bill also regulates the field of health tourism.