Visas Are Worse Than Fires

[IMG=20728-6497]Forest fires have been ravaging in the South of France, international news agencies report. A strong wind has made the situation more difficult by bringing fire to the area where private villas, residences, hotels and resorts are located. 4,000 people including tourists were evacuated from Cote d'Azur. Meanwhile, tour operators, interviewed by a BANKO correspondent, Russian tourists have not suffered from fires in France and that the current situation has not affected the demand for the destination. Thus, Olga Elagina from PAC Group commented: ‘by now no cancellations of tours to Cote d'Azur have been registered’. The information was confirmed in the French Department of Vand International Tour. ‘We contacted out partners in France who pointed out no claims from tourists’, said Olga Elagina. Furthermore, Svetlana Kurkovich, Director of Tourism Department of Inna Tour, stated as follows: ‘local nature cataclysms will hardly affect tourist flow to France. Tour operators and tourists are more concerned about the situation around French visas. There were cases when we had to refuse to organize a tour to France for a client only because they made an enquiry for a tour less than two weeks before the departure date. Before there was a possibility to speed up the process by organizing an interview in the French Consulate. However, at the moment it is necessary to make an appointment for the interview three – four weeks in advance that results into even a longer process than a standard one’. ‘Tour operators put much effort at present to ‘save’ the popularity of the French destination. It is high season at the moment and therefore it is problematic to book accommodation in Saint Trope and in Nice. However, the problems that overwhelmed the French destination cannot bu affect the demand. As a result tourists prefer to choose other destinations, for example Benelux countries or Austria’, said Svetlana Tikhomirova, PR Director of Travelland.