Half of the revenue from the tourism tax should be used to advertise tourist destinations and improve air connections. This is one of the main amendments to the Tourism Act being prepared by the Ministry of Tourism.
The proposal aims to give municipalities greater autonomy in determining local tourism priorities. The funds could be directed toward promoting destinations and measures to attract more visitors from abroad.
“The legislative proposals should be ready by the end of the year,” Tourism Minister Ilin Dimitrov said during a question-and-answer session held by the parliamentary Tourism Committee. The draft legislation should then be presented for public consultation and reviewed by the National Tourism Council.
Changes to the tourism information system
Changes are also being prepared to the Unified Tourist Information System, known as ESTI. By the end of January, it is expected to have an updated and functioning mechanism that will also include properties offered for short-term accommodation through platforms such as Airbnb.
This is intended to improve accountability in the sector and strengthen oversight of the classification and operation of tourist establishments. According to Ilin Dimitrov, one of the tasks is to bridge the differences between ESTI statistics and data from the National Statistical Institute on overnight stays.
The discrepancies are due to the fact that the two systems cover different categories of accommodation establishments. Expanding ESTI is expected to provide a more complete picture of short-term rentals and tourism tax revenues.
National tourism observatory planned
The ministry also plans to establish a National Tourism Observatory. It will collect and analyze information from municipalities, international payment operators and booking platforms.
Combining the data should make it possible to track more accurately where tourists come from, what their preferences are, how much they spend and which regions attract the greatest interest. The information will be used in planning tourism policies at both national and local level.
The proposals are still at the preparation stage. They are to be finalized by the end of the year, undergo public consultation and be reviewed by the National Tourism Council.
Source: nova.bg