Crisis Of Group Tours to France

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   At the moment travel market is experiencing a drop in demand for Moscow-Paris flights. Although traditionally February is a low season for excursion tours this year has beaten the record with 50-60% of unsold seats against usual 15%.
   As a result the market is overwhelmed with special offers. For example, flights by Aeroflot and Airfrance are on sale for $190–200. Margarita Davlikanova, General Director Deputy of Inna Tour pointed out tickets cost – 400$. Moreover, experts outline the lack of traditional demand for the beginning of March when Women’s Day is celebrated in Russia (the 8th of March). Travel market experts divided in opinion over the current situation. Firstly, they point out that cold weather in Moscow could change tourists’ preferences to warm countries. Secondly, reorientation of demand from group to individual tours affected the number of unsold seats with other destinations also being marked with such a tendency. Anton Zverev, the Head of French Department of Russian Express said: ‘I would call it a crisis of group tours. A number of tourists traveling abroad is not reducing but people tend to switch to individual tours’. According to Zverev, at the moment it is impossible to forecast the further development of the situation. May 2005 will demonstrate weather the demand for group tours will stabilize or market players will have to bank on individual tours.