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Some 8,000 people affected by bankruptcy of Lanta-Tour

Tour operator's bankruptcy affects thousands of Russian tourists

Eight thousand people were affected by the bankruptcy of the Russian tourist firm Lanta-Tour. Vladimir Markin, spokesman for the Investigation Committee, said that the Chief Investigation Department of Moscow started the check-up of facts of the violation of people’s rights. The bankruptcy of another tourist firm, Exotic Asia Tour, began to be analyzed.

The Chief Investigation Department of Moscow is already carrying out the procedural check-up of numerous facts of the violation of rights of the people, who decided to avail themselves of the services of Lanta-Tour, Markin told Rossiiskaya Gazeta. The investigators just started their work, and it is too early to speak about the results. According to Markin, the investigation will include a legal evaluation of actions, or inaction, not only of the owners and managers of Lanta-Tour, but also of the state officials, who are to exercise control over the observance of laws in the tourist industry, as well as the rights of individuals. Both the officials and chief executives of Lanta-Tour were sure to know about the deplorable condition of the company's finances. Nevertheless, it sold travelling vouchers until the last day of its existence.

It turned out that Lanta-Tour suspended its work because of Mater Bank's refusal to grant a credit to the company, Moskovsky Komsomolets writes. As a result of it, no money was left on the current account. Perhaps, the balance was even negative. There are no reasons to say that Master Bank refused to grant the credit because of the rumors about a conflict between the agencies, connected with Lanta-Tour, and the law enforcement agencies. One could only assume that the bank correctly estimated the risks involved and decided not to grant the credit. It had every right to do so.

The tourist market is going through difficult times. After Lanta-Tour suspended its operations, another tourist firm, Exotic Asia Tour, reported its bankruptcy, Novye Izvestia writes. An appeal on its bankruptcy was registered by the arbitration court of the Irkutsk region. The application was submitted to the court by the Federal Tax Service. Exotic Asia Tour has been on the tourist market since 2004.

Vladimir Kantorovich, first vice president of the Russian Association of Tourist Operators, believes that the situation may only change for the worse in the near future. Other tourist firms, both big and small, may also go bankrupt.