Clúster

In a short time the Official Gazette of Galicia will receive the definitive approval of the adaptation to European regulations of the decree that regulates the operation of travel agencies in Galicia, after its passage and approval by the Council of the Xunta. The amendment of this decree will bring this regulation into line with the European framework and will provide more protection for travel package users against bankruptcy or insolvency of companies.
The change refers to Article 16 of Decree 42/2001, which updates the autonomous community regulations to the Community regulations, as a result of the draft agreed in 2016 between the different autonomous communities and the Ministry of Energy, Tourism and Digital Agenda.
The guarantee resulting from this modification will thus provide greater protection to users against bankruptcy or insolvency of the organising companies and package tour operators, who must provide the guarantee prior to carrying out their activities and maintain it permanently.In a matter of days, the new decree adapting the activity to the European framework will be published in the DOG, and from that moment onwards the Galician agencies will have one month to present an insurance or guarantee which, on departure, must cover at least 100,000 euros. From the second and subsequent years, companies must respond with a guarantee of 5% of the total turnover of the previous year, always keeping the minimum of 100,000 euros.
This guarantee will make it possible to respond to the non-fulfilment of the obligations arising from the provision of contracted services and to the effective reimbursement of payments made by travellers insofar as they are not made.
The decree had already been submitted to the mandatory report of the Galician Tourism Council, as well as to the consultation of the most representative organisations in the sector and the report of the Galician Council of Consumers and Users. It shall enter into force on the day following its publication in the Official Journal of Galicia.