Representatives of the National Association of Tourism Legal Agents of Moldova (ANAT) warn that the situation in the field is difficult and many companies risk going bankrupt. On December 31, the period for reimbursing passengers for the services that weren’t provided due to the pandemic expires, while the bill that extends this period was given a first reading only and cannot take effect.
In a news conference at IPN, the Association’s president Anna Colța said that it was a difficult year, as the previous years, with restrictions, with cancelled flights and other impediments. The business entities managed to work only for a month and a half with Greece. The flow of tourists decreased significantly. Last year, the largest provider of tourist services in Greece that operated on Moldova’s market and had a share of about70%, Mouzenidis Travel Greece, announced the cessation of its operations and the interruption of servicing of tourists with already paid tour packages without refunding the advances. The problem hasn’t been solved yet.
In such conditions, the Association asked the authorities to extend the period for repaying the money to clients until September 30, 2022. “We were glad to find support in the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova following the public consultations we had on the parliamentary platform, as a result of which PAS MP Iulia Dascălu initiated a bill on the extension of the moratorium on Law No. 72 of 2020 until September 30, 2022. But I cannot understand why the bill proposed by Missis Iulia Dascălu wasn’t given a second reading. The bill was approved of and was adopted by the votes of 68 MPs after being given a first reading. But it wasn’t proposed for the second reading,” stated Anna Colța.
If the legislative proposal is not adopted by this yearend, the tour operators will have to work only for paying lawyers, court costs and delay penalties as they cannot refund the money at the current stage. The money was transferred to providers in Greece.
“Or some of the business entities will choose the path of insolvency. A question appears here, what is better for the consumer? For the bill to be adopted and talks to be simultaneously held with Greece for solving the problem concerning Mouzenidis Travel Greece or for the business entity to announce insolvency? Or someone is interested in the insolvency of tourism agencies so as to easier monopolize the tourism services market? But we should not forget about the human resources in this sector as this staff runs the risk of being laid off in the middle of winter,” said Anna Colța. She called on the authorities to help them solve the problems created in the tourism industry.
According to the National Association of Tourism Legal Agents, the Moldovan tourism agencies owe about
