Go for the price

whether it is dangerous for tourists? It is not yet known, when will the pandemic COVID-19.

Here is one of tempting offers on the tourist portal: “Book as cheap. And while the dollar has not grown, and then you can change your mind 🙂 free cancellation one month prior to departure. A refund the same day. For all areas before the end of the year! 15% prepay by paying, when you will go for 21 or 31 days before departure”.

And offer to call back in 25 seconds, if you leave your room. Called back even earlier. Pretend you want to fly to Turkey for a week in early June, the 4 star hotel, all-inclusive. Can we do it?

– Yes. Please note that the prices for a long time such was not, only 52 of 757 thousand rubles, Marmaris, room for two. Are you sure you want June? Safer in August or September, suddenly frankly admitted the girl was a travel agent.

She said that may is now closed, nobody is flying. And all the April “sitting on the depositor”. This means that the money that was brought by the clients for early booking, they do not return. But they will be able to fly, choosing any day before the end of 2021. Change the date many times.

We agreed to call after the may holidays. And I continued my experiment. In the end, phoned 15 travel agencies. Seven of them didn’t pick up, apparently tired of answering calls “sitting on the depositor”. Two I frankly vtyuhivali tours, starting in June, assuring that I have nothing to lose. The money will be on Deposit, when you want, and then go and prices there is, of course, will be gone.

In other travel agencies I didn’t choke, offered everything thoroughly to weigh, to see when they open the border. And then decide to leave. However, book a tour starting from the 1st of June, as it turned out, all the same really. And not only in Turkey. Two well-known tour operator is ready to do it. One offered to pay for the reservation of 50 euros, the other is pay as usual 50 percent. All made my phone in the database and promised to call when will the flight program.

Not to say that they are dishonest. Describe the situation as it is. And the choice for the client. Many of those who are ready to book for June? Yes, they are admitted in most agencies. Here the client is important to remember that under the system of “Deposit” the money is not returned, just the departure can be postponed.

“I do not share the approach of my colleagues who sell trips to Turkey in June. It is an adventurous and irresponsible – said “RG” Executive Director of the Ural tourism Association Mikhail Maltsev. I don’t believe in quick opening of the Turkey. She will not be able to take tourists a few months”. In his opinion, it is necessary to normalize the situation in the country. And the quarantine in those countries, of which Turkey tourists. Until then, go on a vacation is obviously unsafe. Even if you open the faceTsy.

Fedor Kupriyanov, PhD

Discounts, fantastic promotions and other “freebies” have always attracted a buyer, including tourists. But in today’s situation the widespread restriction of entry and exit in most of the countries, cancellation of flights, I, as a lawyer, I would advise to remember that the free cheese is only in a mousetrap. If in pursuit of summer vacation tourists decide to take a chance and buy a cheap ticket, he needs to try to minimize the risks.

first, you need to remember that the responsibility of the Russian tour operators insured. In case of cancellation or bankruptcy of the company traveler will be reimbursed the funds at the expense of insurance. But in the case of purchasing from foreign company through a travel agent (not to be confused with the tour operator), the probability of receiving cash back goes to zero. The same applies to the purchase of airline tickets from foreign carriers. In my experience I can say that the tourist who bought a tour to Turkey for 50 Tr will not hire lawyers for litigation abroad. Secondly, tourists need to formally sign a contract, and the funds transfer is not in cash, and transfer them to the Bank account of the company. This will eliminate further disputes about the payment. Thirdly, it is necessary to examine the agreement and subject to return of funds due to the cancellation of the tour in terms of the pandemic and the various constraints associated with it. It should be remembered that the citizens of foreign countries have different interpretations of the concept of force majeure, i.e. unforeseeable events, leading to the impossibility of performance of contractual obligations. Cancellation, flight to the pandemic can be considered a force majeure, which apply to both parties. In this case, the tourist may not get anything at all back there, because the costs incurred travel companies can equal the cost of the entire cheap tour.

has Prepared Natalia Kozlova

Dmitry Gorin, Vice-President of the Association of tour operators of Russia:

– Now there is a recommendation of the Federal tourism Agency of the temporary suspension of sales of tours to Russian current date to 31 may. The same applies to international travel. There are certain time and during this period hotels, sanatoria and boarding houses is also forbidden to accommodate tourists. So now basically there is a rebooking at a later date. And not only this, but for the next year. And speaking of the new tours, the foreign certainty yet at all. And in Russian there are operators who are selling the far date of the summer. But they offer the option return rate and return to the hotel. Tourists make a token advance payment (sometimes it is 3-5 percent of the cost of the tour), and the Supplement will be hapto go only two weeks before the start of the trip. Accordingly, these tours will be active only in the case of removing the limitations on the coronavirus. Now while restrictions apply.

Prepared by Andrew Polynski