Before opening your own travel agency and becoming a tour operator, you need to have deep knowledge in the tourism field you want to work in – you need to personally go through the routes, have an idea of the intricacies of the tour, the specifics. If possible, undergo specialized training.
How to register a tour operator for domestic and inbound tourism?
In accordance with Art. 4.1. of the Federal Law of November 24, 1996 No. 132-FZ “On the Fundamentals of Tourist Activity in the Russian Federation” (hereinafter – the Law on Tourist Activity), the implementation of tour operator activities on the territory of the Russian Federation is allowed by a legal entity, subject to the following conditions:
- the availability of financial security for the liability of the tour operator (an agreement or agreements of civil liability insurance for failure to fulfill obligations under the agreement on the sale of a tourist product and (or) a bank guarantee or bank guarantees for the fulfillment of obligations under the agreement on the sale of a tourist product);
- compliance of persons holding the positions of the head of the tour operator, his deputy, chief accountant, other official responsible for maintaining the accounting records of the tour operator, with the requirements established by Part 3 of Article 4.1 of the Law on Tourism Activities;
- membership of the tour operator in the association of tour operators in the field of outbound tourism (in case of carrying out activities in the field of outbound tourism);
- availability of a personal liability fund of the tour operator (in case of carrying out activities in the field of outbound tourism);
- availability of information about the tour operator in the unified federal register of tour operators.
Requirements for financial security of the liability of the tour operator are determined by Chapter VII.I of the Law on Tourism Activities.
Financial security of the liability of the tour operator is not required for:
- an organization providing excursion services on the territory of the Russian Federation for no more than 24 hours in a row;
- state and municipal unitary enterprises, as well as state and municipal institutions carrying out activities on organizing travel within the territory of the Russian Federation for the purpose of solving social problems;
- a tour operator operating in the field of outbound tourism and having a personal liability fund of the tour operator formed in accordance with Article 11.6 of the Law on Tourism Activities in the amount of not less than seven percent of the total price of the tourist product in the field of outbound tourism for the previous year.