Travel Market Is Overwhelmed With Special Offers To Tunisia

[IMG=20481-6214]The second half of July is marked with a wide range of special offers for Tunisian resorts. As of July 19th the minimum cost of tour packages to the country dropped to 190$ (3*, Fortuna system). Thus, Alexander Tugolukov, Director of Biblio - Globus, commented: ‘the demand dropped two weeks ago, but I believe, it has reached the minimum point by now’. According to him, last year sales performance was better. Natalia Margolina, the Head of the Tunisian Department of ICS Travel Group, agreed: ‘now tour operators have to stimulate bookings by offering low prices. Tourists pay practically nothing for flights, considering the fact that while ticket price is $280, a tour package costs $190. As a result travel agencies wait for discounted prices offered by tour operators and then overwhelm tour operators with booking requests. However, such tactics might affect relationship with clients – hotels might be on stop sale for convenient dates. Both experts believe that the problem can be solved by air traffic volume reduction. ‘It is necessary to terminate flights by two aircraft, thus reducing air traffic volume to 2,500 seats per week’, suggested Alexander Tugolukov. However, Natalia Margolina doubted tour operators will risk terminating flights right before August. Meanwhile, Anna Podgornaya, Sales Director of Pegas Touristik, believes that the situation on the Tunisian market has stabilized. ‘We do not put to the market a great number of special offers for Tunisia, sales are stable. Little sales depth is explained by the fact that Tunisia is a non-visa country’, commented the expert. Anna Podgornaya also added that it has become easier to work with Tunisian destination: ‘at the moment tours to Tunisia are sold in the right way. It is not an alternative to Turkey. Tunisia has got its tourists’.