Tour operators in Romania, unhappy with changes to holiday vouchers

The Government’s intention to pay holiday bonuses in cash to public sector employees starting 2018 has angered the local tour operators, who say this would ruin their efforts to revive the local tourism sector by promoting the electronic holiday vouchers. The president of the National Association of Tourism Agencies (ANAT) Alin Burcea, who owns one of the biggest tour operators in Romania, says that the changes in granting holiday vouchers brought by the new public-sector payroll law, shows a complete lack of respect for the tourism sector, reports local News.ro. The new payroll law provides that all public-sector employees will get monthly holiday bonuses in cash instead of electronic holiday vouchers starting December 1, 2018. The electronic holiday vouchers have been promoted as a way to boost local tourism as they would only be used in local accommodation units. Meanwhile, the cash bonuses can be used anywhere and it’s likely that those who will get these bonuses will go on holiday to other countries, according to Burcea. Moreover, this change would discriminate between private sector employees, who will continue to get electronic holiday vouchers, and public sector employees, who will get their bonuses in cash. editor@romania-insider.com