Tour operators opened bookings for summer 2018 very early, mostly on November 1, 2017, and some even earlier, in August. By November, they were already reporting a significant increase in bookings, especially for Turkey, which accounted for up to 40% of all sales.
In advance - cheaper
According to Larisa Akhanova, PR Director of tour operator Tez Tour, early booking volumes this year are several times higher than last year's figures. "Our tourists have really taken a liking to the early booking promotions. We expect sales in Turkey to more than quadruple during this promotion—this was made possible by hoteliers who stimulated the market with discounts of up to 40%," she said.
Biblio-Globus also reported an increase in sales through early booking promotions. "Tourists are eager to book accommodations at popular hotels well in advance, as they may experience shortages during the summer. This promotion allows them to book their summer vacations with maximum savings – discounts of up to 20-30% are available. Additional promotions are also periodically offered, including room upgrades and meal plan changes at no additional cost," the tour operator's press service reported.
The press service of tour operator Anex Tour noted a trend toward increased depth of sales and advance booking of tours. According to the company, the share of last-minute sales is declining.
Top summer destinations
According to Marina Makarkova, Director of Public Relations at tour operator Coral Travel, the most popular destinations based on early bookings are Turkey, Tunisia, Greece, Spain, and Russia. "Turkey sales increased by 1,011%, while Tunisia sales increased by 821%. We've seen a slight decline in sales compared to last year in Greece and Russia. Interest in Spain remained at 2017 levels," she said.
The press service of the tour operator Intourist noted that demand for Turkey has increased more than 2.5-fold this year. Among the most popular destinations are Turkey, Sochi/Crimea/Anapa, St. Petersburg, Greece, and the Baltics (Estonia and Lithuania). "This year, the popularity of tours to the Baltics has more than doubled. This is due to price reductions by local hoteliers, as well as the availability of transportation," Intourist explained.
The press service of tour operator Biblio-Globus reported that demand for summer vacations in Turkey increased by 1,001%, while in Spain, it increased by 301%. "Furthermore, as last year, tours to Cyprus, Greece, Montenegro, and Italy are still popular. Among domestic destinations, Sochi and resorts in the Krasnodar Krai lead the way, accounting for over 701% of Russian summer sales," the company reported.
What about the prices?
According to M. Makarkova, the average price for a trip to Turkey is €4,744 per person, €10,300 higher than last year. A trip to Tunisia, as in 2017, will cost €652. "Prices for Greece and Spain have decreased by €9,300 and €6,300, to €4,896 and €1,003, respectively. The cost of a vacation in Russia remains at last year's level, €36,000 per person," she clarified. M. Makarkova added that the average length of international trips is 10.7 nights, while tours within Russia last 10 nights.
Biblio-Globus reported that prices for all destinations remained at last year's levels. "The average price for early booking deals to Russian resorts (7 nights, 3-star hotel, breakfast included) is 15,700 rubles per person, to the Antalya coast of Turkey – 25,700 rubles, to Cyprus – 30,400 rubles, to Greece – 36,300 rubles, and to Spanish resorts – 45,600 rubles," the press service reported.
According to L. Akhanova, the average price for a 10-day all-inclusive tour to Turkey with accommodations in a 4-5* hotel is 45,000 rubles. "To Greece, which is the second most popular destination, the average price is around 1,000 euros per person for a 10-11-night stay. To Italy, which is also very popular, the average price starts at 500 euros," she noted.
Anex Tour also reported the active development of dynamic packaging based on scheduled flights. "The most popular destinations include Georgia (average price: 660 USD), Turkey (541 USD), the UAE (1,150 USD), and Spain (692 USD)," the company explained.
In 2017, Russians made over 38 million trips abroad, almost 201 million more than the previous year. This means tourist flow has almost reached the pre-crisis level of 2014, when 42 million Russian tourists traveled abroad. The number of trips within Russia also increased last year, reaching 56.5 million.
Source: tourism.interfax.ru
