When we think of summer holiday, the first associations are often the beach, cocktails and relaxation. However, more and more people are choosing an active vacation - hiking, camping or rafting as a way to escape from everyday life. And with such tours often goes alcohol.
That could soon change to Republic of Srpska, one of the more popular regional rafting destinations. The Government of the Republic of Srpska is considering a new draft of the Law on tourism which would prohibit the consumption of alcohol before and during rafting tours.
The bill provides that skippers will be given the legal right to remove people under the influence of alcohol from a raft or boat. The goal, as stated, is to increase the safety of tourists and reduce the risk of accidents on rivers, where alcohol has been part of the informal tourist offer for years.
The law is currently in the consultation phase, and part of the rafting community supports this measure.
"To restore order for once"
The owner of the RT rafting center from Foča, Milan Govedarica, tells "Vreme" that he "absolutely supports" the ban on alcohol.
"As far as I'm concerned, it's great. To restore order for once. We confiscate alcohol when we see someone carrying it. It may have a negative impact on business, but safety comes first," says Govedarica.
He adds that the prohibition of alcohol in their center is already clearly marked.
"On the website, it is emphasized everywhere that there is no use of alcohol. Guests sign consents that state this, skippers warn them, but you have people who drink even before departure. Some get drunk already during the van ride to the starting point - from the place where they gather and from where we drive them to the descent. You can't tell if there is water or brandy in the bottle," he states.
Photo: Pixabay/toddwmacThere is currently a regulation on the prohibition of alcohol, but the law would be more significant
One man can threaten the safety of all
According to him, one drunk participant is enough to endanger the safety of the whole group.
"One person under the influence of alcohol can disrupt everything. He can fall out of the boat and cause a serious incident. Skippers constantly struggle with this. When we see that someone is drunk, we don't allow him to go rafting," says Govedarica.
He adds that some rafting centers still do not take enough care of safety, which is why he believes that it is important that the ban be clearly defined by law.
"There is a regulation on rafting within the Law on Tourism, but it is better that everything is regulated precisely and that we have it in black and white," he points out.
Incidents mostly during independent descents
Govedarica says that the largest number of accidents on Tara occur during independent rafting tours, when people come with their own equipment and without organized guides.
"Years ago, almost every accident on Tara happened to people who came under their own direction," concludes Govedarica.
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