Expanding the list of catering facilities for nutrition with a new facility, National Restaurant - tavern, obligatorily hiring a domestic tourist guide by the foreign tour operator who brings tourists in Macedonia, as well as the categorization of houses in rural areas that rent rooms to tourists are a part of the new tourism and catering industry law changes, by which new opportunities and higher quality services will be provided.

According to the government’s spokesman, Alexander Gjorgjiev by these estimated changes new innovations in this area are introduced and also new opportunities and new quality is provided.

The new amendments provide that the foreign travel agencies that carry tourists in Macedonia to engage a domestic tourist guide through a contract with the association of tourist guides and companions, travel agency with license A, tourist bureau or a physical person - travel guide recorded in the register maintained by the municipality, the City of Skopje, within the 24 hours from the entering time into the country. In case the foreign tour operator had not complied with this obligation, a fine of 2,000 to 4,000 Euros for a legal person is envisaged, and the person responsible for the organized group will be fined in the amount of 1,000 to 2,000 Euros.

According to Gjorgjiev these changes will allow bigger engagements of our tourism workers and a new income, and the quality of the activity and the offer for the foreign tourists would also be increased.

Among the changes is also prescribing of a procedure for legitimizing minors in the catering facilities - cabarets and night clubs by caterers, aimed for prevention of breaking the law and greater protection of minors.

 
“With these changes the opportunities will increase; the quality and the diversity of tourism offer will improve; the system and the competition will also improve, and the development of the tourism will be stimulated. New jobs and opportunities for an additional income for the tourism workers and new facilities will be provided,” stressed the spokesman of the Government of the Republic of Macedonia.