Pursuant to Article 16, para. 1 of the Law on Hospitality Management (Official Gazette of RS no. 17/2019), the Rulebook on the manner of entry, operation, keeping and using the central information system, its content and type of information has been adopted (Official Gazette of RS, no. 87/2020) and it has been in force since 1 October 2020 (“the Rulebook”).
The Rulebook prescribes the manner of entry, operation, keeping and using special information system e-Tourist.
What is e-Tourist?
Central information system in the area of hospitality management and tourism “e-Tourist“ is an electronic system that contains relevant information on providers of accommodation services and accommodation facilities; it is used for their registration and entry of other information related to performance of hospitality, nautical, hunting tourism/tourism businesses or services in tourism.
The purpose of introducing e-Tourist system
The main purpose of introducing e-Tourist system is to centralise information on accommodation providers and accommodation facilities in the Republic of Serbia, as well as suppression of grey economy and promotion of Serbia’s competitiveness as tourist destination.
The main benefits of this system for hospitality operators are simplified check-in and check-out of domestic and foreign tourists, registration of paid residence taxes, as well as simplified administrative procedure and operation. On the other hand, tourists are ensured safe stay, higher quality of service and accommodation in legal facilities, while state institutions and tourist organisations will have simplified monitoring of tourism operation and daily insight into accommodation facilities and accommodation providers and more efficient collection of taxes and residence fees.
What is e-Tourist composed of?
This system is functionally categorised according to the following thematic units:
1) record on hospitality operators;
2) record on accommodation facilities;
3) information on users of accommodation services;
4) categorisation of accommodation facilities;
5) residence taxes;
6) reports and statistics.
Record on hospitality operators contains basic information, address and contact details for seat, branch/separate place of the operator, as well as basic information and contact details of responsible person, and possibly the information on agent and other relevant information.
Record on accommodation facilities contains information on accommodation facility, namely: type of accommodation facility; address and contacts; area where the facility is located; auxiliary contents; structure of accommodation units, as well as other relevant information.
Accommodation facilities subject to mandatory registration
Legal obligation of registration refers to accommodation service providers in categorized and uncategorized facilities.
Accommodation service providers in categorized facilities register on the e-Tourist system using the registration data they received from the Ministry in charge of tourism.
Hospitality management operator providing accommodation service in uncategorized facilities, such as bed and breakfast, inns, guest houses, boatels, lodges, ethno homes, campgrounds, hunting lodges and huts, shall be obliged, prior to the outset of operation, to submit properly filled registration form to a local self-government office where the facility is located.
In accordance with the Rulebook, facilities are obliged to register all domestic and foreign tourists through e-Tourist system from 1 October 2020.
This article is to be considered as exclusively informative, with no intention to provide legal advice.
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By Sara Necic, Senior Associate, and Natalija Dukic, Associate, PR Legal
