Ministry of Tourism to introduce a regulation on the activities of ski instructors

30 December 2015

Bulgaria will introduce for the first time a regulation stipulating the rules on practicing the profession of ski instructor. The requirements are set out in the draft Regulation on the education, practical training and qualification needed for obtaining a license to practice the profession of "ski instructor" published earlier today on the website of the Ministry of Tourism for public discussion. Albeit the introduction of such a by-law is provided for in the currently effective Tourism Act as well as in its previous editions, no such regulation has been drafted or adopted so far.

The document defines the criteria that have to be met by those willing to take exams for obtaining a license to practice as ski instructors in Bulgaria. Ski instructors are required to have specialized in alpine skiing, cross country skiing and snowboarding for which they will receive a certificate awarding  A, B or C  level of competency (upward gradation).  The training of persons  willing  to acquire qualification for practicing the profession of ski instructor will be conducted in the framework of training courses. They will be organized by professional tourism associations, members of reciprocal international organizations, and other legal entities authorized, under special laws, to carry out such training.

Training will be conducted under the terms of a curriculum and a plan developed by professional tourism associations, in their capacity of training organizations, in accordance with the standards, norms and recommendations  of  the International  Association of Professional Ski Instructors (ІSІA) and approved thereby. Training will be also performed in accordance with the plans and programs developed by other training organizations approved jointly by the Minister of Youth and Sports and the Minister of Education and Science. Exams in theory and practice will be taken before the training organizations to acquire competency by specialty and level. Candidates who have passed both exams will receive a certificate of competency issued by the training organization.

It is further provided for a list of qualified ski instructors to be kept as part of the National Tourism Register that will be available online. Thus everyone will be able to check the qualification of their ski instructor and be sure of his/her  competency and skills. The register will contain the names and contact details of ski instructors (address, telephone, e-mail adderss);  changes in the registered circumstances; the number of identity card; the order on data entry or deletion respectively. After inclusion in the register, the Minister of Tourism shall issue to the registered person an identification card. In exercising their profession, ski instructors shall be required to wear their ID cards prominently. Ski instructors who have acquired competency shall offer their services through the ski schools that have employed them.

The team of the Ministry of Tourism has already launched a series of meetings and discussions and is currently in the process of discussing the regulation with non-governmental stakeholder organizations in this field. Today's publication of the text aims to attract attention to the regulation and get a greater number of feedback posts from the NGO sector.

 

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