UPDATE2: Natalie Tours CEO denies suspension of operations

(Adds comments in paragraphs 2–3, 5)

MOSCOW, Aug 14 (PRIME) -- Russian tour operator Natalie Tours’ CEO Vladimir Vorobyov on Tuesday denied the company’s report about suspension of operations.

“The information on the website will be adjusted soon. We are talking only about information that has already been on the market from July 4. We continue operations of the company, (continue) to work with the register of clients, and we plan to resume operations from October 1. As it was said before,” Vorobyov told PRIME, explaining the report on the company’s website by a technical malfunction.

Natalie Tours announced suspension of operations on its website earlier on Tuesday, but later revised the report to say that all sales have been suspended through September 30, but will be resumed on October 1.

The company is not making payments to clients yet, but expects that it will be able to offer them a replacement of tours in the future, Vorobyov also said.

Spokeswoman for the Russian Union of the Travel Industry Irina Tyurina told PRIME that unclear actions of Natalie Tours only strengthen distrust in this tour operator.

Panorama Tour, the firm that operates Natalie Tours, earlier annulled all tours from July 4 through September 30. Before that, the company faced a lack of funds to make timely payments to suppliers, which its management attributed to incorrect evaluation of cash flows and lower demand for tours to Europe.

On July 20, Moscow’s prosecutor’s office announced a probe into the operator and demanded to open a criminal case upon results of the examination.

End