Combo tours move sun’n’surf Cuba
Tour operators sending our compatriots to the
“Several charter chains counted against Cuba:
to Mexican Cancun, Jamaica, and North of the Dominican Republic – Puerto Plata,
which of course attracted the Russians’ attention”, - believes the Head of
Latin America’s department of ICS Group Vasily Yakovlev. The head of the PR and
advertising department of Caribbean Club Company Vladimir Efimov agrees with
his colleague. To his mind, the expansion of flight programs to the Caribbean
has “deprived”
Market players differently assess the demand for the forthcoming New Year holidays. In particular, the Head of the Caribbean department of the Russian Express Company Milana Mitkina notes that tickets for the peak dates are still available – 25, 27 and 31 of December. And there are rooms in hotels of different levels.
In general, this year’s pre New Year flights are more in demand. After January 1, tours, on the contrary, are less in demand, explains Mr. Efimov. According to ICS Group tour operator, trips are closed better than the previous year: for the after New Year’s dates there are only 5% of total sales volume left uncovered. At the same time, according to Vasily Yakovlev, pre New Year programs are already sold out.
However, according to the RATA-news’ source,
overstated number of winter flights to
“For the second year there’s a considerable
surplus of conveyance on the destination which is a fertile ground for price
wars. In the midst of the dumping, up to 70% of flights might be sold below the
prime cost?”, - says Milana Mitkina. Yes, it keeps the tourist flow to
The worst is that tourists get used to lower prices at traditionally expensive destinations, notes Vladimir Efimov. It’s not Egypt, which is near at hand, that’s why, according to expert’s opinion, it’s not quite normal when vacations at Cuba are offered for 60,000 roubles, and that’s not in a cheap hotel, but in a good 4* one. According to the data of the Caribbean Club, in the coming New Year holidays, an 11-day tour to a 4* hotel will cost about 70,000; 5* vacation will amount to 110,000 per person.
Today, the Russians take seventh line in the
total tourist flow to