There will be no high demand for tours to Thailand for the New Year holidays

Despite the resumption of regular flights with Thailand from November 9, travel companies do not expect high demand for tours to the country, despite the rather attractive prices, said Maya Lomidze, executive director of the Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR).

"The algorithm for accepting and serving tourists in Thailand differs from the rules of entry that are in Turkey, Egypt or some European countries. In Thailand, you need to take a certain number of additional steps. For the unvaccinated tourists there is quarantine. Vaccinated people need to fill out quite a few questionnaires, download applications, take a paid test twice upon arrival, and provide insurance. Taking into account this fact and the fact that there is no charter flight with Thailand, supply and demand will be balanced. That is, we will not have a shortage of seats in the Thai destination. And we do not see high demand," she said.

As Lomidze noted, tour operators have already begun to arrange flight programs and tours to Thailand.

“To my surprise, the prices are not so high. To be honest, we predicted that the cost per person would exceed 1 200 Euros, but this did not happen. In the budget segment, a vacation in Thailand on an average would cost 600 Euros per person. In general, it is even cheaper than for the New Year 2019," the expert explained.

According to Lomidze, the flights will be loaded with tourists who missed Thailand very much and are ready to go there as soon as possible for any money.

"There are a lot of such people, and this will ensure the full load of flights. But we do not expect a tourist flow of hundred thousand," she concluded.