ATOR: the depth of sales of tours abroad has decreased due to the financial and economic situation

“The depth of sales of tours abroad has decreased due to the uncertainty of the financial and economic situation. The final decision to travel the Russians take an average three weeks before the trip”, told the executive director of the Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR) Maya Lomidze. She stressed that this year the depth of sales of tours for New Year dates is lower than expected, the market activated only in November. "This picture shows that the depth of sales is low. Now people will make a final decision where they will go for the New Year, and the picture will be fully formed by the end of the month. In total, the demand will grow by 10-15% compared to last year," she said. According to the expert, only the economic and financial situation affects the depth of sales. "Because over the past two years, our tourists realized that the exchange course may change suddenly. There may be a jump of inflation, there may be an increase of the cost of fuel. There may be a lot of things that cause the tourist to postpone the trip. Therefore, people make a decision at the last moment when all factors are already clear and there can be no surprise. When you always think about destabilizing factors it is very difficult to plan in advance," stressed M. Lomidze. Earlier, she said that Thailand, Russia, the United Arab Emirates, Vietnam and Turkey are on the first lines in the list of the most popular destinations for the Russians for New Year holidays.