Business subjects will no longer be required to pay membership fees to tourist organizations. This is one of the most important novelties that the law on tourism in the FBiH will bring.
A total of 678,271 tourists visited BiH last year, and this economic sector earned more than 660 million USD, or more than one billion and 174 million BAM, according to the data from the new edition of the Index of competitiveness of tourism, which is annually prepared by the World Economic Forum (WEF). There was 50,870 tourists only in the FBiH in March 2017, which is 12.3 % more than in March 2016, while it is an increase by 54.4 % compared to February this year.
Led by the goals of the Reform Agenda that provides the elimination of para-fiscal levies, the proposed law will abolish the previous obligation of payment of membership fees. Business subjects in the FBiH, regardless of their work, were previously required to pay 0.05 % of total annual turnover as the membership fees. This will be a great relief to all business subjects in the future, especially those who have no direct connection with tourism when it comes to their business.
The proposed law, among other things, provides the establishment of register of all tourism subjects, agencies, accommodation facilities and registered tourist guides who have passed the exam, which would raise transparency at a much higher level, and facilitate the arrival and stay of tourists in BiH.
“It is important to accurately determine what is the interest of the state for the development of tourism in general, as well as to determine the role of each segment and all the elements in this field. I believe that it is very important to solve the issues of funding and selection of good staff that is working in tourist organizations,” said Hamid Kurjakovic, a tourist agent and manager of several projects in the field of tourism.
(Source: fokus.ba)
