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RF tourists able to complete holidays in Bulgaria without problem

At present, Russian tour operators pay hotels again or remove tourists to other hotels

MOSCOW, August 23 (Itar-Tass) — Russian tourists will be able to complete their rest in Bulgaria without any problem despite bankruptcy of Bulgarian VIP Tours (BVT), the Federal Tourism Agency said.

The Rostourism press service quoted Bulgarian Minister of Economy, Energy and Tourism Ivo Marinov as saying, “All Russian tourists, who went to Bulgaria through Bulgarian VIP Tours, will complete their rest without any problem. Bulgarian tour operators, who are dealing with Russian tourists’ problems, will accommodate them if it necessary.”

At present, Russian tour operators pay hotels again or remove tourists to other hotels.

The Russian Federal Tourism Agency sent a letter to the Bulgarian Ministry of Economy, Energy and Tourism to ask them to study the situation in order not violate the rights of Russian tourists in Bulgaria.

Russian tourists, who went to Bulgaria through Bulgarian VIP Tours (BVT), will return home without any problem upon completion of their rest despite financial troubles of the tour operator, the press service of the Bulgarian Ministry of Economy, Energy and Tourism reported.

The press service commented on the results of the talks between Deputy Minister Ivo Marinov and tour operators, who would assume obligations of Bulgarian VIP Tours.

“Two other Bulgarian tour operators will assume obligations of Bulgarian VIP Tours,” the ministry said.

The company signed an agreement with four Russian travel companies. But later it said it could not fulfil its obligations, the ministry stressed.

The Ministry of Economy, Energy and Tourism maintains permanent contacts with the Federal Tourism Agency, the Russian Union of Travel Industry and the Association of Tour Operators of Russia.

On Tuesday, August 21, BVT told its partners it suspended its activity. It said in the letter that the company could not resolve its financial problems. On Wednesday, there were reports on the first facts of forcing tourists to leave hotels. The bankruptcy of BVT affected several hundreds of Russian tourists spending their holidays in Bulgaria. Certain hotels started forcing Russian tourists to leave hotels despite their wish to repay for their tour.

According to the Association of Tour Operators of Russia, the scale of the tragedy will be known on Friday when another group arrive in Bulgaria. “Unfortunately, it is impossible to convince hotels not to make tourists to leave because these are private companies that are entitled to act of their own free choice,” ATOR said.

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