Filenews 5 January 2022
Amendment of the law on Offices of Tourism and Travel and Tourist Guides decided at today's meeting of the Council of Ministers.
Specifically, the Council of Ministers met today under the chairmanship of the President of the Republic, Mr. Nicos Anastasiades. The following decisions were taken:
The Ministerial Council approved the Bill amending the Tourism and Travel Agencies and Tourist Guides Laws.
The Bill aims mainly at:
• The removal of obstacles to the provision of tourist services by the Tourist and Travel Offices, by co-housing an licensed Office with offices/companies that provide complementary or related activities such as travel, foreign exchange, shipping, car rental and transport insurance,
• The simplification of the control and licensing procedures of the Tourist Offices and Tourist Guides,
• The reduction of administrative burdens:
(j) the validity of the office's operating license and the license to practice the profession of tourist guide is extended from two years to three years and
(ii) the reasons for revoking the license to operate a Tourism and Travel Office are extended.
• The more effective fight against illegality:
(i) provisions are introduced to deal with the offence of operating a Tourism and Travel Office without a license,
(ii) introduces the imposition of administrative penalties and the collection of administrative fines on the offenders of the legislation in question;
(iii) provision is made for the effective treatment of offences arising from the provision of the services of the Tourist and Travel Offices via the Internet,
• The simplification of the provisions concerning the required qualifications of the Director of the Office of Tourism and Travel. The submission of an application by the proposed director is approved provided that he/she holds a university diploma or a recognized higher school in tourism issues or has at least 3 years of experience in tourism offices.
The Bill will be submitted to the House of Representatives for passage into law.
The Ministerial Council also decided to appoint the following as members of the Natural Medicine Registration Council for a period of three years: Dr. Prodromos Kaplanis, Charalambos Giannakasaras, Anastasia Seisou, Kostas Michael, Dimitris Kaolis, Rita Dimou and Erato Stylianou-Markidou.
