MOSCOW, November 23. The largest Russian tour operators said about RUB 1.7 billion of direct losses because of the ban on flights to Egypt and now must confirm their size documented. This was reported to journalists by the head of the Federal tourism Agency Oleg Safonov.
“The Federal tourism Agency on behalf of the government of staff has requested tour operators on their direct costs of evacuation of our citizens from Egypt to their homeland. According to the data, which were provided to us, it is 1.7 billion rubles At the present time it is necessary to document these costs. This is direct losses incurred by the major tour operators”, – he said.
Sale of tours to Egypt through third countries
Oleg Safonov also has informed that Rosturizm has no information about Russian tour operators selling tours to Egypt through a third country, the sale is on hold.
“The tour operators said that since November 6 this work (sales to Egypt) terminated, and organized our tourists can not enter the territory of Egypt is not directly from Russia, because temporarily suspended flights or through third countries. Tour operators these tours don’t sell, don’t sell”, he said.
If citizens still face similar facts, Safonov asks them to inform the Federal Agency for tourism.
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“This information (about unscrupulous travel agents, who continue the sale of tours to Egypt – approx. ed) we do not have. This information should be citizens, please contact the Federal Agency for tourism, and we will take reasonable steps to ensure that this practice was stopped”, – said Safonov.
The head of the Federal tourism Agency also warned the independent travelers not using the services of tour operators, from traveling to Egypt via third countries. “It’s a recommendation that makes sense to listen to,” he said.
As previously reported, the Russian foreign Ministry recommends that the tour operators and travel agents to refrain from sales to Russian tourists of tours to Egypt.
According to the official representative of the guardian Maria Zakharova, tour operators and travel agents are recommended for the duration of the ban on air traffic between Russia and Egypt to refrain from sales to citizens of a tourist product, and providing commercial air transportation of citizens from the territory of the Russian Federation on the territory of Egypt.
This recommendation applies to any plane flights to Egypt irrespective of the nationality of the carrier.
On November 6, President Vladimir Putin agreed with the recommendations of the National anti-terrorism Committee to suspend air traffic with Egypt. All Russian commercial airlines and operators of General aviation has suspended the performance of all regular transit and Charter flights to Egypt with passengers on Board from 20:00 on 6 November.
This measure was introduced because of suspicions that a Russian aircraft A321 could break over the Sinai in the attack. On November 17 it became known that the head of the FSB Alexander Bortnikov at a meeting with the President of the Russian Federation officially reported that the cause of the collapse of the liner was triggered on Board an improvised explosive device with power up to 1 kg in a trotyl equivalent.
According to Rostourism, since the suspension of flights to Egypt that left the country more than 88,5 thousand Russian tourists.
