In the season-2019 the volumes of direct transportation to France increased. According to market participants, the relative stability of exchange rates and the emergence of new flights to the cities of France led to an increase in demand for sightseeing and beach tours on the destination from 5 to 100%. At the same time, tour operators have noted a good depth of sales of tours: from 3 to 5 months.
From June 2, Ural Airlines airline has launched a new flight from Moscow to Montpellier. In addition, direct transportation to Bordeaux, Nice, Marseille and Paris is available from the capital region this summer. But now the situation has become complicated due to the recent suspension of direct flights of Ural Airlines to Nice and Paris.
Nowadays tour operators have reported an increase in sales. Thus, ICS Travel Group reported an increase in the demand for tours to France almost doubled: the peak in customer demand is for July. Anna Filatovskaya, the director of advertising and PR department of Russian Express tour operator, estimates the growth of summer sales of tour operators in France by 25%. The press service of Biblio-Globus tour operator reported a 17% increase in demand, VEDI TOURGROUP notes about 5 % increase in sales.
This season holidaymakers actively purchased tours at the early booking stage. However, the reason for this phenomenon, as the representative of KMP Group notes, is “not a search for low prices and special offers, but a desire to book a room in luxury hotels”.
Excursion tours lead in the demand rating of the summer season 2019 in France. Combined tours are also in demand (beach vacation + excursion program), and beach vacation is only on the third position in sales.
According to market participants, the average cost of tours to France in the season 2019 increased slightly: from 5 to 7%. At the beach resorts, hotels of category 4-5* periodically present special offers, for example, free of charge upgrade of rooms for accommodation from 5 nights.
As for excursion tours to Paris, the press service of Biblio-Globus tour operator reports: while in the 2018 season the average cost of the excursion trip to the French capital was 59,605 Rubles (824 Euros), then in the 2019 season a similar trip would cost only a bit more expensive - 61,293 Rubles (848 Euros).
