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Russians book tours abroad, but many give up plans to vacation abroad

This year early tour booking has dropped by 40% against the same period last year, Head of the transport committee of the Association of Tour Operators of Russia told TASS

© ITAR-TASS/Mikhail Pochuev

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Russians cut expenses on trips abroad by $3 million in Q4 of 2014 — Central Bank

YEKATERINBURG, January 27. /TASS/. Around ten million Russian citizens have been planning to go on vacation abroad this year, while last year the number of Russian citizens who vacationed abroad was 18 million, Head of the transport committee of the Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR) Dmitry Gorin told TASS on Tuesday.

"In the previous years early tour booking accounted for 35-40% of tours sold in summer, while this year early tour booking has dropped by 40% against the same period last year," Gorin said." One of the reasons is the increased cost of tours abroad and reduction of charter flights. Many airline companies fear that their flights will be half-used and cancel them", Gorin said.

"Nonetheless, many Russian citizens do not want to give up their plans to go on vacation abroad even despite a very difficult economic situation. Around ten million Russian citizens have already booked summer tours abroad. Egypt, Greece, Cyprus and Turkey are traditional destinations preferred by Russian tourists for summer vacation," he said.

ATOR Director Maiya Lomidze told TASS earlier that after a relative stabilization of the ruble exchange rate Russian tour operators resumed early tour booking deals which were suspended last year because of the problematic economic situation in Russia.

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