Number of tour firms in Russia’s outbound tourism falls 70% 2015

MOSCOW, Dec 22 (PRIME) -- The number of tour operators on the Russian market for outbound tourism decreased 70% in 2015, Maya Lomidze, executive director of the Association of Tour Operators, told reporters Tuesday.

“In 2014, our analysts very cautiously predicted a 30% fall in the number of tour operators in outbound tourism to avoid causing panic. But in fact the number of companies decreased 70% against the same period of 2014,” she said.

“The economic situation depressed demand for foreign tourist trips that led to a decreasing number of tour firms which operate in this segment.”

At present, there are 685 tour operators in Russia’s outbound tourism and a part of them refocused on the domestic market or provides agent services.

Their number may also decrease 50% in 2016 if political and economic conditions in Russia and on the global market continue worsening, Lomidze said.

But even if the situation is stable, Russian outbound tourist flow fill fall further in 2016, and in this case the decrease in the number of outbound tour firms is likely to stand at 20–25%.

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