Tourism and Sport Minister Nikolina Brnjac said on Thursday that the proposed amendments to the law on tourism services had been put to public consultation and that all interested parties could participate, including tourist guides who had criticised her over the amendments.
Tourist guides have criticised the ministry over the amendments, saying that while they had paid for expensive courses and taken exams the ministry was now allowing foreign tourist guides to work in Croatia without such training and without any criteria. They also complained about being excluded from the consultation on the bill.
"The bill has now been put to e-consultation for 30 days and all interested parties can participate in it. There are two infringements of EU law that we need to address. One concerns travel vouchers and the other tourist guides," Brnjac told reporters before a cabinet meeting, adding that any comments made during the consultation would be considered and later included in the elaboration of rules.
She said that under the amended law anyone not wishing to use vouchers for paid travel that could not be effected because of the coronavirus pandemic would be refunded. As for the infringement concerning tourist guides, she said that the European Commission called for streamlining of training because now there were 21 professional exams in force plus a general exam that tourist guides needed to take.
Brnjac said that foreign tourist guides needed approval from the the Ministry of Tourism and Sport to be able to work in Croatia and that they were required to present proof that they had passed a professional exam. (Hina/FaH)
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