Collective Commentary about the New Package Travel Directive

LATVIA | ALONA ROGALE-HOMIKA AND MARINA GUNARE 967 5. CONCLUSION Licensing will reduce the shadow economy in the country, provide adequate consumer protection and ensure fair competition between the tourism companies. The annual state fee, which should be paid by each tourism service provider, registered in the territory of Latvia, is credited to the state budget. If necessary, this accumulation will be used to the travellers’ repatriation or for other unforeseen expenses. Luckily, as stated earlier, Latvia has not had so many negative cases since 1990, when the regulation on paid in money security guarantee came into force. Moreover, there are a few tour operators’ companies that have ensured their activities against insolvency for a more substantial amount than required by law. For example, the tour operator Tez Tour has become the largest travel performance guarantor in the tourism industry in Latvia, by ensuring its obligation for 4.7 million euros (Tez Tour, 2019), which shows the positive dynamics in the industry. BIBLIOGRAPHY 1. Cabinet of Ministers (2018). Regulations Nr 380, Regulations on the Procedures for the Preparation and Delivery of Package and Related Tourism Services and the Rights and Obligations of Package and Related Tourism Service Providers and Travelers. Available at: https://likumi.lv/ta/ id/300021-noteikumi-par-kompleksa-un-saistita-turisma-pakalpojuma-sagatavosanas-un- -sniegsanas-kartibu-un-kompleksu-un-saistitu-turisma. Accessed 15.12.2019. 2. Consumer Rights Protection Centre (2015). Information for consumers, for whom Relaks Tūre Ltd. has not provided complex tourism service. Available at: http://ptac.gov.lv/lv/news/informacija- -pateretajiem-kuriem-sia-relaks-ture-nav-nodrosinajusi-komplekso-turisma-pakalpojumu. Accessed 15.12.2019. 3. Consumer Rights Protection Centre (2015). Provision of complex and related tourism services. Available at: http://ptac.gov.lv/lv/content/kompleksu-un-saistitu-turisma-pakalpojumu-sniegsana. Accessed 15.12.2019. 4. Consumer Rights Protection Centre (2020). Database of tour operators and agents. Available at: http://www.ptac.gov.lv/lv/turisma-operatoru-un-agentu-datubaze. Accessed 22.07.2020. 5. Latvian Tourism Law (2018). Available at: https://likumi.lv/ta/id/50026-turisma-likums. Accessed: 16.12.2019. 6. Lursoft. https://www.lursoft.lv/en/about-lursoft. Accessed: 15.12.2019. 7. Tez Tour. www.teztour.lv. Accessed 29.12.2019. 8. The EU Parliament and the Council of the EU (2015). Directive (EU) 2015/2302 of the European Parliament and of the Council. Available at: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/ PDF/?uri=CELEX:32015L2302&from=EN. Accessed 14.12.2019. 9. UNWTO (2019) International Tourism Highlights Edition. Available at: https://www.e-unwto. org/doi/pdf/10.18111/9789284421152. Accessed 15.12.2019.