Diana Ferdman, a successful entrepreneur, head of the Belmare travel company, host of a popular tourism video blog, founder of one of the most visited professional tourism groups on Facebook, teacher and coach, told TRN about her attitude towards the situation with RossTour.
"It looks like no one will be bored this season: neither agents nor operators. The heat at Turkish resorts is waning, but the excitement shows no sign of abating. The tourism world is roiled by news of the recent bankruptcy of a major market player.
RossTour is a booking center that served as a convenient intermediary between major tour operators and agencies. It was a trusted corporation until it took a sudden turn. Here's a quick rundown.
Previously, booking centers were able to pay for tours immediately before tourists departed, which suited them just fine. Recently, the terms changed, and RossTour was asked to urgently settle outstanding balances. It's very strange that such a logical demand had such a disastrous impact on the operations of such a large organization. Instead of the funds deposited by the agencies, the accounts were now empty, and a debt of 150 million rubles emerged. A surprise. Unfortunately, not a pleasant one.
Especially given the general trend of the Russian tourism market experiencing a noticeable decline, with sales virtually nonexistent and the off-season quiet. Are travel agents prepared for the additional challenges associated with working through intermediaries? What do their intuitions tell them?
Another surprising point: the terms were changed specifically for RossTour, not for all similar companies. If all other booking centers are subject to the same conditions, should we expect their closure and the complete collapse of the tourism industry? Or do they operate under different models and will be able to cope?
Of course, we live in a country where people take risks, and there are plenty of them among travel agents. However, after all the stories with Polar and RossTour, it would be extremely strange if active cooperation with booking centers continues.
Today, RossTour promises to return all funds to the victims. However, my professional trust in such intermediaries has been completely undermined, and it's practically impossible to regain it. Colleagues, tourists, what do you think about the market outlook and this particular situation?
Source: trn-news.ru