After the completion of the increasing of the security level at the airports of Egypt it will be possible to raise the issue of resumption of air traffic, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said today.
"The competent authorities of Russia and Egypt are working together on the implementation of measures designed to improve the level of security at the airports of Cairo, Hurghada and Sharm el-Sheikh. After the collaboration and launch of the appropriate mechanisms, the issue of the resumption of air links between the two countries can be raised,’’ the Russian Foreign Minister said, noting "the responsible attitude of the Egyptian authorities that have expressed a willingness to cooperate fully in this direction," RIA Novosti reports.
Lavrov reminded that the presidential decree of November 8th 2015 "On some measures to ensure the national security of the Russian Federation and the protection of Russian citizens from criminal and other illegal actions," introduced a temporary ban on Russian airlines carrying out air transportation to Egypt.
"At the time of its action, the tour operators and travel agents are advised to refrain from selling permits providing such transportation. Flights of Egyptian aviation to Russia were also suspended . Now the Russian tourists have been evacuated from Egypt, on November 30th the last group returned to their homeland,’’ Lavrov reminded, noting that on November 26th the Foreign Ministry confirmed the recommendation for Russian citizens to refrain from visiting Turkey, and being there for private ends Russians to return home. "On the basis of the statements by the Foreign Ministry, Rostourism shall inform the tour operators, travel agents and tourists," the Minister said.
As it was told in an interview to Vestnik Kavkaza by the Executive Director of the Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR), Maya Lomidze, it will be possible to restore tours to Egypt after the restoration of air links tour operators almost instantly.
"All operators are quickly adjusting for this operation. However, there is a problem with the recovery of the operations in the physical sense - the restoration of charters, and so on, after the re-opening of the flights to Egypt, it will also take time,’’ she said, noting that the conditions of travel after the restoration of posts is not likely to change, there won’t be discounts, but there will be no price increases either.
Asked about the impact on the future of the tourist flow to the Land of the Pyramids after the terrorist attack on the Russian A321 in the skies over the Sinai Peninsula, the executive director of ATOR noted that it is still too early to talk about.
"As long as it is not clear when this recovery will happen, it is difficult to speak about the total flow: it will take at least several months, if not longer. Will the sales be active? Absolutely. Because even now, taking into account all the available information, people are willing to go. It will grow or remain the same, there is the time factor, because there will be no Egypt for a few months. And the final, ultimate statistics, if we are talking about the number of tourists, of course, it is not reflecting the real picture, because none will sell in 3-4 months. I think people are willing to go back, they will not be frightened, " Maya Lomidze concluded.
The Professor of the Department of Management and Service of the Institute of sectoral management (IEM) RANHiGS, Galina Dekhtyar, has expressed the view that the regular service will be resumed in a couple of months, those who quickly react to innovation, means, to return to the tours to Egypt, will have time to go to the country on the New Year.
"This is the case if the rejection of the ban on flights to Egypt will be official. That is, those people who are in the first place bookув tours and froze their value indefinitely, would be the first candidates for the trip. It is quite clear that in the present if the safety of tourists will be guaranteed, if our security officers will help the Egyptians to check all threats at airports and on board the Russian aircraft, then I think that tourists will go, " she told.
Talking about the change of the conditions of trips after the restoration of the flights and whether the Russian tourists, who will return to Egypt, should wait for any discounts, the professor of management and service Institute of sectoral management RANHiGS said: "On what basis? We are always waiting for discounts. Free cheese can be only in a mousetrap. Therefore, you can not hope that there will be some discount. It is clear that the hotels have been affected, the tour operators have suffered, on the contrary, prices may rise rather than fall, given what amounts have been lost by the tour operators and that the number of the tour operators by now has been reduced by about 60%, to 500. According to the forecasts, if the situation with the prohibition of flights in certain countries continues, the number of tour operators may drop even up to three hundred. This data is not only mine, This is statistical data. Therefore, it is clear that a ban on the flights to Egypt and Turkey is the most serious blow to the industry that ever happened during the last 15 years. "
Asked how the attacks will affect the tourist flow to Egypt, the expert expressed confidence that people who primarily care about their safety on vacation would not go, but would wait until some specific period passes in order to understand how well the security is provided, according to the information in the press.
"We have very good radio and television today, including Russia Today, Life News and RBC, which show interesting stories, unbiased assessment of the safety features- boarding, pass to the plane, is it possible to bypass the queue. If there will be taken the most severe security measures, and that it will be shown and explained, or simply be stories that will convince people that the security at the airports of Egypt is at the proper level, I still do not think that everyone will go. And the current situation, that we know from media, is so that it is not so safe in the world today to chase the sun and the sea is in those countries, where you can get an adventure to your head, " the scientist said.
"Today, it is more calm in the direction of Southeast Asia, although there can also be anything. But at least the information that is given in our press says that the situation is calm. Therefore, as the instruction, we shell say: tourists in the first place should analyze the information that is present in the press about the political situation in the country of the alleged recreation, the crime situation, the absence of acts of terrorism in the region, and only then it is possible to make a decision about the trip. Still, the information should be checked even on the day of departure, because it It is very important, because its our own lives, we must realize that it is not necessary to risk it even with a very strong desire to rest abroad ", Galina Dekhtyar concluded, giving an advice to the Russian tourists
