A few years ago, a period of stagnation began in the tourist market of Russia. Travel agencies and transport companies massively declared themselves bankrupt. The situation was aggravated by a ban on air connections with Egypt and Turkey. These countries accounted for about 70% of passenger flow in 2015.
Step by step
In 2016, almost all reviews about travel agencies had a negative connotation. Travelers were outraged by the incompetence of managers. Customers no longer trust the leading operators accused of fraud. Many Russians refused to travel to foreign countries, preferring local destinations. The influx of travelers was noted in the resorts of the Krasnodar Territory and the Crimean Peninsula. In winter, Krasnaya Polyana broke all records.
In comments and reviews about travel agencies, Russians noted the worthy behavior of the Biblio-Globus company representatives. Despite the rapid devaluation of the ruble, huge expenses and the breakdown of partnership agreements, the operator replaced all canceled tours or offered its customers decent compensation for spoiled vacations. Last year, in addition to Russian resorts, the leaders in the sale of package tours were Greece, the island of Cyprus and Tunisia. They replaced Turkey and Egypt.
Rating of Russian operators
Tops the list, based on reviews of travel agencies of the Russian Federation, the company "Coral Travel". The company received the maximum number of bonus points. It is the oldest since it is 25 years old. The operator has dozens of branches in Russian cities and branches in the countries of the former CIS. Agency managers offer standard package tours to countries in Southeast Asia and the Middle East. Trips to South America, Canada, the United States, Australia and New Zealand are available.
The second place went to TUI. Reviews about travel agencies confirm the high level of service and maintenance. The company is part of the TUI Group Corporation. It serves more than 30 million travelers a year.
Bronze went to the Tez Tour. The operator entered the tourist market of Russia in 1994. The managers of the company replaced the popular Turkish and Egyptian resorts with the Chinese island of Hainan.
The Tez Tour is followed by the Sunmar Tour. His profile is organizing inexpensive and affordable trips. In its assortment is a huge selection of "burning" offers. The fifth position is occupied by Pegas Touristik. The operator has at its disposal its own airlines and a hotel chain on the Mediterranean coast. Also in the rating were the companies Intourist, Natalie Tours, Anex Tour, Mouzenidis Travel and the travel agency Biblioglobus.
welcome to Moscow
In the offseason, the Russian capital topped the list of the most popular local destinations for families. Over the past two years, the city has acquired new hotel complexes, budget hostels and affordable, but comfortable housing. The lion's share of objects is concentrated near metro stations or near major transport interchanges.
The rating of the most popular premium hotels is headed by Marriott New Arbat and StandArt. According to the Biblioglobus travel agency, foreign travelers prefer not to overpay and choose the hotels Izmailovo Park, Palmyra Business Club, and Holiday Inn Seligerskaya. The segment of cheap apartments is presented by the Ibis Kievskaya, Hampton Strogino, and Ibis Dynamo hotels built in 2016.
The number of foreign guests in Moscow is still thirty percent of the total number of visitors. Tours to Russia are popular with citizens of China, Japan, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Germany and France.
In the capital
The ranking of the best travel agencies in the Moscow region includes Vell, Aerogrand, Hermes, Sail Travel, Rest, Planet, Favorit. They offer travel to Sochi, St. Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod, Yaroslavl, Pskov. They work with foreign destinations.
Managers develop sightseeing and sightseeing trips, organize beach tours, and compose treatment programs. They are responsible for wedding and corporate trips, conducting children's and family vacations. Agency staff assist in obtaining visas, transport documents and booking hotels.
The information databases of companies contain information on tens of thousands of package tours. If desired, travelers can order the development of individual routes and entertainment programs. Reservation of rooms in hotels is allowed without paying for air tickets. A popular type of activity of Moscow bureaus is carrying out boat trips along rivers and canals accompanied by guides who speak Russian, English, German, Spanish, and Chinese.
In Saint-Petersburg!
The tourist infrastructure of the Northern capital is represented by hundreds of hotel facilities. According to current data, the metropolis is the most visited city in Russia. It has more than 1,500 travel agencies. In St. Petersburg, there are about a hundred of the most active operators. The lion's share of the market is occupied by small commercial enterprises. They cannot boast of substantial amounts of authorized capital.
Their activity is seasonal. Its peak falls on the period from May to October. In July and August there is a shortage of accommodation facilities and services. High demand provokes fluctuations in the cost of services. The difference between winter and summer prices is thirty-five percent. The priority task assigned to the administration of the municipality is to promote a positive image of the region.
The management is engaged in the development of infrastructure, increasing housing stock. Travel agencies of St. Petersburg update the technical park, focusing on the principles of servicing Scandinavian colleagues.
Rating agencies of North Palmyra
According to residents of the North-West region, the most popular travel agencies are Arktur Travel, Flamingo, Neva, Riviera, Tez Tour, TransBusinessLine, Baltic Travel, Solvex Tour, Nika, Prima.
Neva appeared on the St. Petersburg market in 1990. She is one of the current members of the Republican Technical and Technical Institute and the Moscow Aviation Institute. The branch network has about 3,000 agents. Representative offices of the operator operate in 180 settlements of the Russian Federation. Annually, managers of the Neva serve more than 150,000 Russians.
The technical equipment of the organization is represented by comfortable buses of the Neoplan, Mercedes, Setra brands and cars. The process of processing transport documents and booking is fully automated.
At the forefront
Prima entered the market of the North-West region in 1991. Her profile is organizing accommodation of foreign travelers in Russia. The operator employs a hundred people. The list of areas of work of the company is Turkey, France, Tunisia, Finland, the Czech Republic, Italy and other European countries.
The age of the Riviera is 21 years old. The company has its own offices in Egypt, Turkey and in the resorts of Russia. The operator’s employees organize trips to Austria, the United Arab Emirates , Greece, the Baltic states and Malta. The geography of the company's presence is constantly expanding.
Bus travel agencies
Traveling on intercity liners is in high demand among residents of St. Petersburg and neighboring regions. The main reason is the proximity of the region to the states of Scandinavia. Therefore, the cost of such trips is two times lower than the tariffs for standard tours with air travel. Such offers are designed for energetic people.
Clients of bus travel agencies in Russia are looking for new adventures and experiences, but are not ready to overpay for additional comfort. Their goal is to visit the maximum number of countries, spending a minimum of funds.
Boat trips serve as a worthy alternative to such tours. They are carried out by passenger ships and ferries. St. Petersburgers are popular for many days traveling across the Gulf of Finland with access to the waters of the Baltic Sea. Cruise ships are moored in the ports of Norway, Sweden, Denmark and other countries.
Pegas Company
Travel agency "Pegasus" has offices not only in St. Petersburg, but also in Moscow and other Russian settlements. Departure of tourists produces from fifty cities of the Russian Federation. The hotel base of the company contains records of hundreds of hotels located in 22 countries. It has its own airline agency. Operator managers organize group, individual, sports and corporate tours.
The support service of the travel agency "Pegasus" works twenty-four hours a day. Help desk staff are available seven days a week. The company’s portfolio includes thirty destinations for beach and sightseeing vacations. Vouchers to Turkey, India, Bulgaria, Morocco, the United Arab Emirates, China, Israel and Vietnam were recognized as sales leaders.
The company sends tourists to Italy, Armenia, Greece, Azerbaijan, Mexico, Jordan and Georgia. Invites you to visit Cyprus, Spain, the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Mauritius, Seychelles and Sri Lanka.
Tasteful Travel
Travel agency "Hummingbird" is based in St. Petersburg. Her profile is the organization of trips to European countries. The lawyers of the company take all the trouble associated with obtaining Schengen, Italian and French visas. The list of countries with which the company cooperates includes Asian states, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Spain and Hungary. This list is constantly growing.
Hummingbird travel agency employs professional agents and guides. Their experience in the tourism business exceeds five years. Customers praised the organization of excursions in Paris, children's holidays in the UK. Students enjoyed the holidays in Greece and Malta. New year trips to Helsinki, Copenhagen, Prague and Munich are in demand among residents of the Northwest region and adjacent areas.
Wandering wind
At the disposal of the travel agency managers “Suitcase” hundreds of attractive travel options to the ski resorts of Austria, Bulgaria, Turkey, France and Italy. Employees of the company specialize in organizing trips to the countries of Southeast Asia.
The organization has established reliable partnerships with the management of tourist sites in Japan, China, and Vietnam. The agency staff provides legal assistance in obtaining visa documents. Managers assist in issuing tickets for travel in air, sea, rail.
The assortment of travel agency "Suitcase" includes bus, ski, beach, wedding, individual and New Year tours. Programs are designed for every taste and budget. On the official website of the company there is an option to select a ticket.
The agency offers gift certificates. Tourists liked the opportunity to present such an unusual and valuable present. Its amount may be different. Validity is twelve months.