Against Law of Archimedes

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   On February 8th PAC Group announced a launch of cruise programs by Italian Company MSC Crociere. At the presentation General Director of PAC Group, Ilya Itkin, said about the parthnership agreement between PAC Group and MSC. In general, terms of the contract are similar to those of other companies working in the Russian travel market: blocks are provided for groups of Russian speaking tourists for the most marketable dates. However, regarding basic Mediterranean and North Europe programs PAC Group plans to create the same atmosphere for Russian tourists as on ‘Academician Vavilov’. A menu and all signs will be translated into Russian. Besides, Russian TV Channels will be available. There will be company’s representatives on board and in each sea port excursions with Russian-speaking guide will be offered. Furthermore, the peculiarity is cruise programs, which start in Saint Petersburg.
   In 2006 season PAC Group plans to send 100 tourists and to increase the tourist volume gradually. Nevertheless, tour-operating companies offering programs of other cruise companies do not see the threat for their businesses. ‘The more operators offer cruises the better. While, Russian target group for such programs is approximately 100,000 people, only 10-15 thousands people go on such trips at the moment’, commented Maxim Radionovskyi, Director of Breeze Line. Representatives of Costa Cruises, another Italian cruise company, which entered Russian market four years ago having banked on cooperation with Natalie Tours, agree: ‘MSC is our competitor, but it is not a problem in the current situation. Russian market has enough space for one more cruise company’, said Alessandro Botaro, sales manager of Costa Cruises in North and Eastern Europe.
   MSC owes 8 passenger liners (two more liners are being built), while Costa Cruises owes 14 liners and six liners are at different stages of construction. The comparison appears to be not in favour of MSC, but PAC Group points out an advantage of cooperation with MSC: the company is ready to be flexible towards the Russian market, adapting its routes to clients’ interests.