Russian Tour Operators Plan To Increase Quotas In Greek Hotels in 2007

[IMG=20601-6381] Tour operators that specialize in the Greek market intend to sign contracts for 2007 with the most popular hotels in the country. Experts point out that before plans for the coming year were discussed at the end of August, while this year the preparation process was initiated a month earlier. Thus, Dimitris Haritidis, Sales Director of Aldemar Hotels, emphasized: ‘by now we have practically finished the contracting process with the Russian market increasing a number of rooms by minimum 15%. I believe it will have our Russian partners. At the moment in popular hotels of Aldemar chain an average Russian quota is 1/3 of the total number of hotel rooms (for example, in Cretan Village 100 rooms out of 340 are allocated for Russian tourists. Upon the contact terms in 2007 the share will increase by 1/2 of a total number of rooms. Furthermore, Svetlana Zhukova, Director of the Greek and Cretan Department of CAPITAL TOUR, stated: ‘this year the contracting process started earlier than usual’. She added that comparing to previous seasons the tour operator plan to increase a quota in high category Greek hotels for August 2007. Representatives of UTE Megapolus Group confirmed the demand for expensive accommodation in Greece. ‘Hotels will all inclusive system and those which offer family rooms are in especial demand in the Russian market. These preferences of Russian tourists are specified in contracts with our Greek partners. On the average we have increased quotas by 20%’, said Victoria Kizimova, Tourism Director of UTE, in the interview to a BANKO correspondent. Furthermore, General Director of Bureau South Cross, Andrey Kuznetsov, pointed out that after negotiations with Aldemar the company expect a double increase of its quota in Aldemar hotels in Crete. Meanwhile, travel market experts doubt that high concentration of Russian tourists in expensive Greek hotels might convert into a negative factor and result into claims from tourists themselves. They say that a category of Russian tourists who prefer to avoid the company of other Russians while holidays exists but it comparatively small. ‘The majority of Russian tourists communicate with each other with pleasure and make friends. For Greek hoteliers the increased quota for the Russian market is interesting as Russians are active at visiting Spa – centers’, said Kuznetsov.