Russian tour operators refused last-minute tours. Tour operators refuse last-minute tours due to the crisis. Russian tour operators refused to sell last-minute tours due to the crisis
Due to the crisis and changes in the structure of the market, Russian tour operators have completely abandoned the sale of last-minute tours. This opinion was voiced by a number of media, referring to the data of representatives of the tourism sector. However, the experts interviewed by the correspondent of the TURPROM infogroup do not agree with this - last minute tours, and in Western terminology - "last minute bookig" tours, have not disappeared, although their share has indeed decreased somewhat. However, already this spring, experts are sure, the market may be covered by a new wave of burning tours due to dumping wars, which some tour operators are likely to unleash in Turkish and Egyptian directions.
So, according to Kommenrsant, due to the fact that tour operators are increasingly forming package tours not on the basis of their own charters, but on the basis of regular flights, thereby optimizing their flight programs, the need to sell tickets at burning prices has actually disappeared - the risks of unrealized tours are transferred to the shoulders of the airlines. Thus, Igor Blinov, a representative of the OnlineTour travel agency, notes that if before 2014 last-minute tours accounted for about 15% of sales, now they are practically non-existent. “Relevant requests from customers remained, but it’s almost impossible to pick up something on them: the cost of a tour bought a few days before departure is now 30-40% higher than in pre-sale, and not vice versa,” the newspaper quotes him. .
However, according to other experts, burning proposals have not disappeared anywhere. “Now is the off-season, therefore, there are certainly very few such offers. But in general, they definitely did not decrease in the market. And when Turkey starts in early April, and charters fly there en masse, there will be no less burning tours than in previous years. After all, everyone understands perfectly well that the first thing tour operators will do to win the largest market share is to lay out tariffs for $299 or $399, and everything will return to normal,” says Sergey Samokhvalov, Director for Development of the Global Travel Travel Agency Network.
At the same time, the expert noted that last year there were indeed a little less such offers than usual, since two mass directions were absent on the market at once. In the same year, according to Sergei Samokhvalov, those who want to relax in Greece, Tunisia, and even on the Black Sea coast of Russia will definitely not be left without burning offers - the prices for Turkey will pull down the prices for all other mass destinations.
Sergey Tolchin, sales director of the tour operator "" does not agree with the fact that last-minute tours are a thing of the past. According to him, the appearance of last-minute tours in the lines of companies is primarily due to the balance of supply and demand at the current moment. For example, if there is no excess transportation, and the balance of supply and demand is optimal, then there can be no last-minute tours in principle. When there is an overabundance of transportation on the market, inexpensive or very cheap vacation options appear, which primarily attract tourists who previously did not plan to go on vacation due to lack of funds. “People see that a week-long all-inclusive trip abroad is being sold for the price of two nights in a recreation center near Moscow without meals. As a result, it turns out that this is not an organically formed demand, but a situation artificially created by the market. That is, it is impossible to say that last-minute tours disappear in principle. This is a seasonal phenomenon, which may be related to the current economic and political situation, correct planning, weather events, and so on,” the expert explained.
The Deputy President "" also notes that last-minute offers appear after the fact, so it is incorrect to say that they will not be in the upcoming season: "It is possible that an overabundance of transportation may form on such routes as Greece or Turkey. That is, until the season has begun, it cannot be said that there will be no last-minute offers. According to the expert, if the companies fail to fill their charters, burning will definitely not be avoided.
However, according to Sergey Golov, President of the Union of Travel Agencies (STA), against the backdrop of the crisis, tour operators have begun to approach planning their flight programs in more detail, as a result of which the number of last-minute tours may indeed be reduced. “Tour operators have reduced the flight program according to their financial capabilities and limitations. After all, what is last-minute tours - this is an overabundance of transportation on the market, which you need to pay from your own pocket. Often, only the cost of the flight was included in the cost of such a tour, and the tour operator actually subsidizes the tourist from his own pocket for accommodation, meals and transfers. However, during the crisis, the profitability of work became a critical condition for survival, as a result, tour operators began to form their programs more competently, and the number of last-minute tours on the market decreased,” he said.
Russian tour operators have almost completely abandoned the last-minute tour format, Kommersant writes. If earlier last-minute tours accounted for at least 15%, market participants say, now they are practically non-existent.
Photo: Sergey Savostyanov / TASS
The proposals of tour operators have almost ceased to provide for the so-called hot tour format, Kommersant writes with reference to market participants. The reasons are the crisis in the tourist market that has been going on for two years.
According to Igor Blinov, a representative of the OnlineTour company, last minute tours accounted for about 15% of sales in 2014, but now they are practically non-existent. Tours purchased days in advance now cost 30-40% more than pre-sales, rather than the other way around, he says.
Maya Lomidze, executive director of the Association of Tour Operators of Russia, also speaks about similar indicators. According to her, in 2014 last-minute tours accounted for 15-20% of sales, and now - a maximum of 3-5%. The volume of last-minute offers is indeed declining, notes Dmitry Malyutin, CEO of Level.Travel, but last summer agents managed to find such tours to Greece, Crete and domestic resorts.
Among the reasons for the disappearance of last-minute tours are the changing rules of the game in the market, Igor Blinov claims. According to him, operators have begun to use regular transportation in package offers more often. They also prefer not to immediately buy out large blocks of places in hotels and refuse unreasonable dumping to increase their customer base.
Now the concept of "hot tours" is more of a marketing burden, he notes.
With the optimization of the flight programs of tour operators and their guarantees when buying seats, Tatyana Belova, director of the agency network development department at BSI Group, also connects the refusal from last-minute tours. Last-minute tours, she notes, are single offers: for example, if a client canceled a trip at the last moment due to emergency circumstances.
Another reason Lomidze calls the lack of mass tourist destinations in the current market - for example, Egypt. Also, the reason, she says, is the reduced commission of travel agents: earlier, for last-minute tours, its size could reach up to 30%, now it is no more than 12-13%.
In the coming summer, the number of last-minute tours in the portfolios of tour operators may increase, taking into account the demand for massive seasonal destinations during this period, Lomidze admits. The growth of the segment may begin after the return to the mass market of Egypt, suggests Dmitry Malyutin.
It is no longer worth waiting for mass dumping from tour operators, which in any case implies an increase in the supply of last-minute tours, is no longer worth it, says Anna Podgornaya, general director of Pegas Touristik. According to her, the market has changed a lot and companies are no longer ready to take risks and work at a loss, as they were before 2014.
Attitudes towards burning tours are different. Someone only flies like that, and someone bypasses, overshadowing with an Orthodox cross. We tried to tell why tour operators carry out such generosity attractions, and what the desire to save money on vacation can result in.
Where do hot tours come from?
What do sellers do when the "doctoral" expiration date comes to an end? That's right - they write "promotion" and reduce prices. It's the same with hot tickets. The tour operator buys seats on planes and hotels in advance, and when there are free rooms at the beginning of the tour, it sells them cheaper. The company gets rid of unclaimed vouchers at cost and does not incur losses.
Hot tours are a fair deal. The price drops approximately 10 days before departure. If suitcases are always ready, and you agree to break away on vacation at any time, this option is for you. A good way to save a few thousand rubles and visit the country of your dreams.
But there are nuances.
What is the catch of burning tours?
As with many good proposals, there are "buts" here. You may not know the truth about why the tour costs so little. Cases that the tour operator is happy to report:
- tourists refused at the last moment;
- sale of seats before the start of the season;
- the tour operator miscalculated the demand by buying extra seats.
But when the offer is really good, there will always be buyers for it. Sometimes places sharply become cheaper for other reasons.
What to look out for
Season. The main reason for low ticket prices is the lack of demand. This happens when the resort has bad weather, the rainy season, hurricanes and earthquakes. Before paying, try to find out more about the country you are flying to. Read the news, weather reports, and just in case, check if there are military actions nearby - this can also happen.
Departure city. Most of the last minute tours are tours from Moscow. Before you buy, calculate how much it will cost you to get to the capital and back. Add to this the risks that a long journey brings: you can miss your plane, you need to book a hotel in Moscow, there is little time to pack. Even if you save money, you can spend a lot more nerves.
Amount of days. Sometimes last minute deals are unclaimed tours. These are short trips for 3 days / 4 nights or 7 days, of which one will go for a flight, and two more for acclimatization. You can't call it a perfect vacation. In addition, a short tour will not cost much less than a week or 10-day package - and good deals in season with such terms are hard to find. It happens that a short vacation for 3-4 days is reduced due to unforeseen circumstances - when you buy last-minute tours, everything can be.
The reputation of the travel agency and tour operator. Avoid fortune systems and lotteries with similar names. Especially during the season and without a specific hotel. Often a good hotel with a high rating is announced on the tour, but with the possibility of replacing it with another, of the same star rating. Make sure there is no such clause in your contract. Otherwise, upon arrival, you may be placed in a hotel with poor food, dirty linen and insects in the rooms. An irresponsible travel agent may fail to warn the traveler of these risks, so the holiday could be ruined.
Lack of choice. A hot ticket can be a real adventure. If you buy a tour "for good luck", then there is simply no time to get acquainted with the features of the hotel, its suitability for family holidays. The decision to buy must be made quickly, otherwise someone else will outbid a chic offer.
Where is it better to fly on a burning tour
Despite some risk, last minute deals remain the most popular way to travel cheaply. In fairness, there are far fewer bad reviews about tours than enthusiastic recommendations from tourists.
When looking for tours, it is better to bet on visa-free countries or those where a visa is issued upon arrival - Turkey, Turkey, Thailand, Vietnam, UAE. Holidays in Europe on a last-minute tour are suitable for those who have a long-term visa in their passport. The rest may simply not have time to do the paperwork and are at great risk of rest.
Choose safe countries for your vacation where there is no risk of getting sick. For example, if you are planning to go to India for the first time, experienced travelers recommend up to 10 vaccinations: against typhoid, diphtheria, tetanus, hepatitis A and B, meningitis. This applies to adults and children. In the case of a burning ticket, you may not have time to get vaccinated. Of course, the risk of getting infected is not too high, but "Shiva saves the safe."
The farther and more exotic the country, the more difficult and longer the preparations for the flight. When traveling for African exotics, you need to study local eating habits, learn about the poisonous inhabitants of the seas, rivers, oceans, and buy essential medicines in advance. Medical insurance does not protect in all cases, and it will be fabulously expensive for a foreigner to be treated on the other side of the planet.
Important advice: If you find a good offer that suits you, don't hesitate. In a couple of hours someone else will definitely buy a profitable ticket.
Alternative - early booking
Like it or not, last-minute trips are to some extent a roulette for the lucky ones. Tours at reduced prices go to those who are ready to break away abroad at any time, are not tied to the deadlines for submitting reports and do not wait for permission from their superiors to take a vacation. When you are used to planning everything, then for sure such a vacation will disappoint. If not a hotel and a flight, then the inability to plan everything.
If you are not one of those who are going on a week-long trip abroad in five minutes, it is better to book tours in advance. By doing this, you save up to 30% of the cost of the tour, which is comparable to discounts on last-minute tours. Do not wait until the last minute - no one guarantees that last-minute tours will appear. Tourists will redeem all their reservations, there will be no force majeure in the country, no one will refuse a trip at the last moment - and that's it, there are no normal last-minute trips.
The first screen is the prices for tours to India for the next week. The second screen is the same "early booking" tour 40 days before departure. All dates are high season, the price difference is about 24,000 for two.
Choose a tour 3-4 months before holidays, make an advance payment of 50%, and the rest - a couple of weeks before departure. So you are guaranteed to get a comfortable stay in the chosen hotel, at the right time and with a convenient departure.
