The Plenary Session of the Parliament on Friday voted in a law the bill for the simplification of the legal framework for the licensing and categorization of hotels and tourist accommodations, at the same time approving the secondary legislation.
After a long discussion and voting in favor of amendments, the Plenary passed the bill with 30 votes in favor and 18 against and approved the regulations with 41 votes in favor and 6 against. The vote on the legislation in the plenary was postponed 4 times and the majority of the legislature did not accept the request of the ELAM MPs for a new postponement.
With 35 MPs in favor, 11 against and 1 abstention, AKEL voted in favor of an amendment that eliminated the provision that gave hoteliers and hotel managers the right to rent or lease restaurants or other categories of centers operating in the hotel, to persons foreign to the company.
The amendments incorporated in the legislation include a regulation according to which the holder of the position of manager in hotels of three stars and above must have a degree, which came with an amendment by Elias Myrianthous of EDEK.
The new legal framework eliminated procedures and committees and abolished mandatory provisions and technical criteria.
The issuance of a three-year operating license by the Ministry of Tourism is instituted by presenting only the necessary certificates which ensure the safety of the premises.
A new system of categorization of hotels and tourist accommodation is also introduced, and criteria are defined that ensure the quality of the tourist product.
Giannis Karousos: "It was time"
Commenting on the decision of the Parliament, the Mayor of Ayia Napa, Giannis Karousos, characterized the bill as a positive change that will improve the quality of tourism and will positively affect the center of Ayia Napa.
Now in this day and age the hotel regulations. It was about time. Many positive changes which will improve the quality of our tourism.. It also positively affects the center of Ayia Napa. Congratulations to @Petrides_C who made another significant change. https://t.co/U3lvmlWw3P
- Yiannis Karousos (@yianniskarousos) March 1, 2019
Famagusta.News / KYPE
