Russian authorities have reached an agreement with their Egyptian counterparts to restore full air traffic between the two countries, RIA Novosti reports.
Russian President Vladimir Putin held a meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, during which the leaders discussed The issue of restoring tourist exchange and unrestricted air travel is being discussed. As the Russian leader noted, the countries intend to resume charter flights to the Egyptian resorts of Hurghada and Sharm el-Sheikh in the near future. Transport Minister Yevgeny Ditrikh also announced plans to dispatch a special commission to Egypt for a final safety inspection of the resort airports. Flights can only resume after this procedure is completed.
Travel industry experts noted that charter flights could be organized and tour sales could begin within a month. They are confident of the demand for the Egyptian destination, and Russians will be offered this tourism product in its entirety. If charter flights do resume in the coming months, approximately 600 flights per month could be operated to Egypt during the winter season. Once charter flights are launched, the flow of Russian tourists to this destination will reach at least two million, experts predict.
The cost of charter tours to Egypt remains a pressing issue for Russians. According to Dmitry Gorin, Vice President of the Association of Tour Operators of Russia, prices for Egyptian resorts will not differ significantly from those before the suspension of air travel. However, exchange rate fluctuations should be taken into account. The expert added that tour prices will likely be comparable to packages to Turkey. Incidentally, a week-long all-inclusive vacation in Turkey at a 4-star hotel currently starts at 35,000 rubles for two.
Source: news.turizm.ru
