As it became known“”, the professional associations market players and mutual insurance companies are discussing the reform of the system of financial guarantees of tour operators. The current liability insurance of tour operators expected to complement the establishment of specialized mutual insurance society (OVS), which, as the authors argue ideas, not facing any crisis of confidence of participants of the market to insurers, nor the refusal of the insurers to bear the risks of the industry.One of the most affected by the pandemic industries — tourism, it seems, expects reform of the financial guarantees. May 27 will be held a meeting of representatives of the Federal tourism Agency, the Russian Union of travel industry (PCT), Association of tour operators of Russia (ATOR) and the National Association of mutual insurance companies (the NAVS). Discussed will be the creation of mutual insurance companies tour operators as options for the provision of financial guarantees of market participants. As stated in the letter of NAVS in the Federal Agency for tourism (there is a “b”, sent 20 may), the tour operators and their clients are “not always getting proper insurance coverage with the conditions of receiving insurance payments and tariff”.Recall now for tour operators there are two kinds of financial provision — insurance policy of civil liability (GO) tour operators or Bank guarantee. The first option is cheaper and the majority of tour operators prefer it. “Insurance payments are difficult, delayed, and sometimes insurance companies deny victims and tourists. This situation is based on the difference of interests of tour operators and insurers where the interest in insurance is purely commercial — to achieve the greatest profits,” according to the NAVS. The authors of the letter write about the crisis of confidence in the segment, after insurers began to refuse to enter into new agreements in connection with the loss of industry from the coronavirus (see 23 March).The level of payments in the segment of NAVS called low — 30% in the last four years (except the local situation in 2018, when insurers paid out almost everything collected as contributions). Payment in 2019 — a total of RUB 10 million RUB 234 million in fees. “For insurers, the tourism industry has always remained opaque,— said Vice-President of NAVS Ivan Davydov.— They were not able to correctly rate the risk. In addition, the established insurance amounts for the payment of all damage tourists is often not enough. Format same OVS market participants will be able to create a mechanism to cover the full amount of damage.” It is expected that participation will be voluntary and will become the alternative mechanism to the classical insurance or registration of a Bank guarantee.The idea of creating OVS has already received the support of tour operators. Vice-President of the PCT Yuri Barzykin said “Kommersant” that such a proposal along with other measures underthe support and reform of the industry was sent to the Ministry of economy and tourism. Mr. Barzykin added that the Union also proposes the establishment of new mechanisms on the basis of “Turpomoschi” and other features, for example, guarantee. The expert suggests that the occurrence of OVS may be preferable for market participants, domestic and outbound tourism, for which the sum insured shall be 500 thousand rubles For the participants of the market of outbound tourism, sending abroad more than 10 thousand people per year, this amount is 5% of the turnover but not less than 50 million rubles. “In the event of a problem OVS will be difficult to pay the money for this it should be a lot of members,” he explains.Executive Director ATOR Maya Lomidze confirmed “Kommersant” that the prospect of creating OVS is considered. The Federal tourism Agency promptly responded to the request to “Kommersant”. Vice-President of the Russian Union of insurers (VSS) Svetlana Gusar recalled that late last year the BCC has written to the Federal Agency for Tourism comprehensive reform of the system of guarantees of tour operators. The Union, in particular, proposed to introduce a system of “Electronic ticket”, which will allow you to obtain accurate and complete information on the number sold by the tour operator permits, and the insurance company will give the opportunity to adequately assess the risk of bankruptcy of the tour operator. “Perhaps the discussion should return when the crisis pass,” says Mrs. hussar. According to her, it is not easy to estimate the loss ratio of this sector because statistics, which is now going on it and is contained in the letter of NAVS, is not complete: the company that went bankrupt (including for compensation to the operators) did not provide statistics on the amount of payments and it was not included in the final figures for the assessment of the degree of unprofitability of this type of insurance.Meanwhile, according to President VSS Igor Yurgens on existing contracts insured responsibility of tour operators to 16.5 bln RUB “Given that the fees in this market are in the order of 256 million rubles per year, the size of the total liability that may result in refunds for this market is catastrophic,” he said earlier.Tatyana Grishina, Aleksandra Mertsalova
