The license revocation of 19 major Russian tour operators related to Turkey has caused panic: tourists do not know what to do with already paid vouchers and tour operators do not know what to answer to their customers, Interfax news agency reports.
It all started after the publication of a Russian Federation government decree, according to which the companies under the jurisdiction of Turkey or controlled by citizens of this country, are prohibited after 1 January 2016 to operate within Russia in the construction, tourism and hotel business.
«Rosturizm wished Russians perfectly for a Happy New Year by creating a state of panic in the tourist market. We receive calls from tourists in different cities inquiring about the fate of paid vouchers, and travel agencies, who don’t know what to say to tourists», Russian Travel Industry Federation press secretary Irina Tyurina told Interfax.
Bad timing
According to Tyurina, the decision also undermines travel agencies in neighbouring countries. «For example, Belarusian company «Western Tract» reported that, regardless of the circumstances, hundreds of Russian tourists are affected even regarding contracts that must be paid at the end of January,» she said.
The Russian Travel Industry Federation consider that the timing for exclusion of companies from the register is chosen very poorly.
«It is unclear why it was necessary to take such a decision on December 30th, in the peak of the winter season when thousands of tourists fly out or are already on vacation. Not to mention the fact that the exclusion of operators from the registry is absolutely not justified,» Turina noted.
Increased unemployment
She also suggested that the departure of Turkish travel agencies and affiliated travel agencies may lead to increased unemployment in the country, as thousands of employees, mostly Russians, will remain without work.
Two companies of the new blacklist — Coral Travel and Sunmar Tour — on Thursday said they are engaged in the reconstruction of the register of tour operators, according to the newspaper «Kommersant».
Russia’s largest tour operators have Turkish origin, since Turkey became the most popular summer holiday destination for Russians around 2000.
The Federal Tourism Agency’s view
License revocation of some of the largest players in the market due to sanctions against Turkey should not lead to panic among tour operators and tourists, according to Russia’s Federal Tourism Agency.
«We operate on the basis of a presidential decree and government resolutions. There is a list of activities that cannot be undertaken by organizations, where the founders are Turkish citizens or legal entities established under the legislation of the Republic of Turkey», Federal Tourism Agency director Oleg Safonov commented yesterday on RIA news.
«We have a Unified Federal Register and the data indicates that 19 tour operators are affected. If any of them have different information, they are obligated to us to provide it. We act within our mandate», he added.
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