The reverse side of popularity

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    The approach of the high season does not only bring up pleasant emotions to tour operators who work with the UAE. Alongside with the increase in demand, according to an expert interviewed by a BANKO correspondent, problems with accommodating tourist in the country may become a distinctive feature of the new season. The specialist, who wished to remain anonymous, cited one a potentially dangerous scheme. According to him, some receiving companies sometimes allocate tourists in rooms which had been previously by the hotel only for a couple of days. Another half of the visit the holiday-maker is intended to stay in the country is only included in a wait-list of the hotel, which does not provide any warranties. In the end, tourists are not insured against having to move to a different hotel. Specialist are also put on alert by the appearance of new companies, which earlier did not establish links with the Emirates destination which has had a reputation for a long time of being a separated oasis of stability.
   As a BANKO correspondent discovered, this question was raised at one of the recent meetings of UAE operators, which was held under the aegis of the Moscow representative office of the Department of Tourism and Commercial Marketing of Dubai.
    Among these 'dark horses', the company 'Empire of Tourism' was named: this operator announced a wide assortment of offers for the high dates, thereby positioning itself as a Russian representative of three leading Emirate companies. To clear the situation, a BANKO correspondent visited the office of 'Empires of Tourism', located in a house in Tovarishevsky lane. In rather impressive premises, including several rooms, he saw two managers, who informed him that on the Emirate destination their company co-operates with Alpha Tours, Royal Crown and Arabian Desert Tours. Roman Abasov, director of 'Empires of Tourism' was contacted the following day by the phone. He denied advertising statements of the company in relation to presenting the interests of three Emirate companies: ' ...we are their official partner, rather then representatives. Our company has Austrian roots and works in Vienna under the name of Reiseburo Empire Tourism. The Moscow office was established 3 years ago, and at the moment it works with such destinations as the UAE, Turkey, Thailand, Austria, France and Czech Republic."
   Read comments of representatives of the Emirate companies in the following issue of news.