1.Tourist trips. Tour operators.
The tour operator must reimburse the amount paid by the traveler for a tourist trip, in case of canceled trip due to the declared state of emergency. Another possibility is to offer the traveler a voucher for the amount paid. If the traveler does not accept the voucher and in the absence of another agreement for a tourist package /a replacement/ between the tour operator and the traveler, the tour operator must reimburse all payments received from the traveler or on his behalf, within 12 months from the date of the cancellation of the State of emergency.
Two years after the cancellation of the State of emergency, the Ministry of Tourism provides tour operators using air carriers with a Bulgarian operating license to operate charter flights to the Republic of Bulgaria for tourism purposes, with a state subsidy of EUR 35 for each seat of the maximum passenger capacity of the aircraft for each flight performed by a Bulgarian air carrier. The subsidy is granted for each seat occupied by a person using a tourist service in the Republic of Bulgaria and only for flights with a capacity of no less than 100 seats. The subsidy can also be provided for tour operators who use the services of air carriers with an operating license issued in another country, but the tour operator has to prove the lack of interest in performing the specific flight by air carriers with a Bulgarian operating license.
2.Concessionaire and lessee under a valid concession / lease agreement for a sea beach.
For the summer season 2020, starting from June 1st 2020, the concessionaire and the lessee under a valid concession agreement, respectively lease agreement on a sea beach provides visitors with beach accessories - umbrellas, sunbeds, bedding, beach mattresses and others, used by visitors of the sea beach (definition within the meaning of § 1, item 6, proposals first and second of the additional provisions of the Black Sea Coast Planning Act) at prices, reduced by no less than 50 percent of the prices for the 2019 season or from the maximum charge according to the respective contract.
The concessionaire, respectively the lessee shall notify the Minister of Tourism of the prices of beach accessories for the summer season 2020 by May 25, 2020. By May 30, 2020, the Minister of Tourism shall notify the concessionaire or the lessee, in accordance with the methodology set out below, about the reduction of the amount of the due concession fee / lease price for 2020, which shall correspond to the reduction of the prices of beach accessories. The concessionaire must pay their concession fee for 2020 by November 30, 2020.
On a proposal by the Minister of Tourism, the Council of Ministers reduces the amount of the due concession fee for 2020 by a decision, and the Minister of Tourism reduces the amount of the due lease price for 2020 by an order. When the fee or the price has already been paid fully or partially, the respective reduced part shall be deducted from the concession fee, respectively from the lease price for 2021. In accordance with the decision or the order, the Minister of Tourism and the concessionaire, respectively the lessee, conclude an additional agreement to the concession agreement or the lease agreement.
The term of the concession / lease agreement may be extended on a proposal by the concessionaire, respectively the lessee, with a term not longer than one year, regardless of whether the statutory maximum term for the respective type of contracts is exceeded, and the concession grantor / lessor may accept or reject the proposal. The Minister of Tourism and the concessionaire, respectively the lessee, conclude an additional agreement to the concession agreement or the lease agreement.
The reduction of the due concession fee or the lease price, which shall correspond to the reduction of the prices of beach accessories, as well as the extension of the term of the concession / lease agreement, are defined by a methodology, which will be adopted by May 23, 2020 by the Council of Ministers on a proposal by the Minister of Tourism.
Violations of the above-described regime and property sanctions in such case: concessionaire, who does not reduce the prices by not less than 50 percent of the prices for the 2019 season or the maximum charge according to the respective contract, shall be imposed a property sanction in the amount of 50,000 BGN, and in case the same violation is repeated - the penalty is a property sanction in the amount of 100,000 BGN. A repeated violation is considered to be any violation committed within 4 months from the entry into force of the penal decree, which imposes a penalty for the same type of violation and the same sea beach. Violations are established by acts drawn up by officials, determined by the Minister of Tourism. Penal decrees are issued by the Minister of Tourism or officials, authorized by him.
The concessionaire of a sea beach may propose postponement, reduction or redirection for all or part of the investments they must make for 2020 and 2021 according to the concession agreement, respectively offer new investments, and the concession grantor may accept or reject the proposal. The agreements are amended by signing an additional agreement between the parties, which is concluded by December 31, 2020, and by adopting a decision by the concession grantor. There is an exception to this rule in cases where the amendment of the concession agreement is within the decision to open the procedure or to determine a concessionaire, the amendment is made without issuing a new decision by the concession grantor.
For the summer season 2020 it is allowed the use of additional trade area to movable sites and facilities for carrying out the obligatory activities on the sea beach and for sports and entertainment activities and fast food establishments on the territory of the sea beaches (art. 10, paragraph 4, item 2, letter “b” of the Black Sea Coast Development Act), beyond the area permitted according to art.10, paragraph 7 of the same law, which is a total of up to 2 percent, but not more than 4 percent of the area of the sea beach.
Violations of the above-described regime and property sanctions in such a case: In case of violation of this rule, a fine from BGN 1,000 to BGN 5,000 or a property sanction from BGN 2,000 to 20,000 shall be imposed. In case of repeated violation, the fine is from BGN 2,000 to BGN 6,000 and the property sanction is from BGN 4,000 to BGN 40,000 (A repeated violation is considered to be any violation committed within 4 months from the entry into force of the penal decree, which imposes a penalty for the same type of violation and the same sea beach). Violations are established by acts drawn up by officials, determined by the Minister of Tourism. Penal decrees are issued by the Minister of Tourism or officials, authorized by him.
In 2020, on the territory for beach accessories, providing not less than 50 percent of the active beach area for free placement of beach accessories by visitors, the concessionaire or lessee may establish zones in order to prevent and control the flow of visitors, with approved schemes by the Minister of Tourism.
In 2020, on the territory of the guarded sea beaches, the personnel of each opened rescue post may be reduced to one lifeguard.
In 2020, the ban on construction and installation activities in the national resorts on the Black Sea coast (regulated in Article15 of the Act on the Black sea coast spatial development) is from June 15 to October the 1st.
3.Term of validity of the certificates for categorization of accommodation establishments, medical bath treatment centers, restaurants and others.
The term of validity of the certificates for categorization of class A and class B accommodation establishments, restaurants and entertainment establishments (independent and adjacent to accommodation establishments), tourist huts, tourist training centers and tourist dormitories and the adjacent food establishments, whose categorization according to the Tourism Act expires on September 1, 2019, is extended until December 31, 2020.
The term of validity of the certificates for categorization of medical bath treatment centers (medical SPA), SPA, wellness and thalassotherapy centers, for the sites whose certification according to the Tourism Act expires on September 1, 2019, is extended until December 31, 2020.
