MOSCOW, October 16. /TASS/. All Russians vacationing in Israel on package tours came back to Russia on October 15, Dmitry Gorin, Vice President of the Russian Union of Travel Industry, said on Monday.

"We can state officially that all tourists on package holidays returned to Russia yesterday. Slightly more than 100 people," he told a news conference at TASS.

According to Gorin, Russian tourists who came to Israel on their own are still in that country. "We are monitoring the situation via our services and are in touch with the foreign and economic development ministries, as well as with the air transport authority," he said.

"Naturally, all tours to Israel have been suspended. Flights are organized for individual passengers and vacationers. The number of flights is being increased," he added.

Maia Lomidze, executive director of the Association of Tour Operators of Russia, told TASS earlier that the remaining Russian vacationers on package tours were expected to return to Russia by Sunday.

ATOR said on October 10 that there were less than 100 Russians vacationing in Israel on package tours, since many travelers had returned home after their tours ended. It also said that around 150 Russians were about to fly to Israel for vacation but were revising their plans.

The Russian Ministry of Economic Development recommended earlier that Russian travel agencies suspend the sale of tour packages to Israel until the situation in that country normalizes. It also called on Russians to refrain from traveling to Israel.