New Safety Regulations for Tourist Attractions

Changes to the Tourism Act envision the creation of a public electronic register of attractions, which will be maintained by the Ministry of Tourism, as announced by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport and Communications Grozdan Karadjov. He announced the main directions of the prepared bill at the beginning of the government meeting, held under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Zhelyazkov.

The legislative initiative comes as a direct response to a tragic incident that shook the public—the death of an eight-year-old child during parasailing in Nessebar. The tragedy revealed the lack of adequate regulations and control in the sector, which necessitates urgent measures to increase the safety of tourist attractions on the Black Sea coast and throughout the country.

Key Safety Measures

The proposals presented by Minister Karadjov aim to introduce comprehensive rules to ensure the safety of tourists. Key measures include:

• Mandatory professional insurance for "Responsibility" for every location where attractions are offered.
• Preparation of a detailed safety plan for each facility.
• Appointment of a specific person responsible for safety.
• Conclusion of a contract with an accredited control body for regular inspections.

The Minister emphasized that operators will be obliged to comply with strict general safety rules. These include daily and annual inspections of the facilities, which must be documented in a special logbook. This logbook will have to be kept at the attraction's location and be accessible for inspection by the control authorities at any time. The bill also provides for the introduction of mandatory training for staff and a requirement for a declaration of informed consent from customers. Penalties will be provided for violators.

Karadjov announced that if a risk of an incident is identified, the facilities will be immediately suspended from operation. In addition, the changes also include a ban on the operation of jet skis by individuals without a captain's license or by minors. These measures are intended to put an end to irresponsible practices that threaten people's lives and health.

The bill is scheduled to be uploaded for public discussion, with Minister Karadjov requesting an additional week for the final refinement of the texts before its submission. This delay is necessary to guarantee the integrity of the legal act, which has the potential to completely change the rules in this important sector for tourism.