UTAS: Around 200 travel agencies in Serbia shut down

The Association of Travel Agencies of Serbia (UTAS) has warned that around 200 travel agencies have stopped working due to the crisis caused by the pandemic and that the number would keep increasing, because the Ministry of Finance is still not helping them, even though they are among the sectors that have recorded the biggest losses.

UTAS reminds that replacement trips and refunds to passengers depend on the survival of the agencies and that, for this reason, it is even more important for travel agencies to get non-refundable funds in order to keep working.

According to the data of the Business Registers Agency, since March 15, 2020, a total of 94 agencies have been deleted from the register, 20 of which are travel organizers, whereas 105 business entities have stopped working, 10 of which are travel organizers.

– We expect the problems to increase in February, when the postponed taxes and contributions are due. Agencies can’t pay these, because they haven’t been working for nearly a year. We once again appeal for this debt to be written off and for a one-off aid to be provided, as for other jeopardized categories, and for the approval of credits from the Development Fund, whose sessions are once again stagnating, to be accelerated – UTAS points out.

Udruženje turističkih agencija Srbije

Ministarstvo finansija Republike Srbije

Agencija za privredne registre

UTAS

coronavirus

covid 19

crisis

pandemic

shutting down of travel agencies

replacement trips

refunds to passengers

tax and contribution payment