According to tour operating companies specializing in Austria new rules for visa applications adopted by the Austrian Embassy affected the work of travel companies in Russia. (news/ 23.01, 26.01, 31.01 and 02.02). Yuryi Stepin, General Director Deputy of PAC Group, stated the following: ‘It is difficult time for couriers at the moment as due to the ceiling of the processing documents per day – 400 passports – couriers have to arrive to the Embassy at night. However there is no guarantee that originals of invitations sent by DHL have been processed by consulate agents’. Besides, the Consulate accepts only documents of those tourists who leave in the coming dates due to the high workload of its agents. As a result travel companies have to reorientate their clients to other destinations. On the other hand, Lilia Gorbunova, Supervisor of Austria Department of UTE Megapolus group pointed out the following fact: ‘‘serious’ travel companies can not offer their tourists other alternatives as they have direct contracts with hotels in Austria’. Nevertheless, Director of Acent Travel outlined: ‘There have been fewer applications for tours to Austria from our agencies since the middle of January’.
Russian travel market players believe that Austrian authorities could change the situation. But Austrian authorities do not rush to intervene to settle the argument as they have not still experienced a drop in demand for Austria. ‘The majority of tours for the current months were sold in November and December 2005. Therefore, neither incoming companies nor Austrian authorities can not recognize effect of the introduction of new rules’, stated Elena Lentochkina, Director of Austrian department of Erzog.
Furthermore, Russian travel market players forecast a decrease of tourist flow for the next season in case measures will not be applied for the solution of the problem in the nearest future.
Russian travel market players believe that Austrian authorities could change the situation. But Austrian authorities do not rush to intervene to settle the argument as they have not still experienced a drop in demand for Austria. ‘The majority of tours for the current months were sold in November and December 2005. Therefore, neither incoming companies nor Austrian authorities can not recognize effect of the introduction of new rules’, stated Elena Lentochkina, Director of Austrian department of Erzog.
Furthermore, Russian travel market players forecast a decrease of tourist flow for the next season in case measures will not be applied for the solution of the problem in the nearest future.
