How to survive the crisis

The crisis of the tourist market this summer has a negative impact on the entire industry. Bankruptcy seemingly reliable tour operators hit all market participants to one degree or another. Before travel agencies, the question of how to survive in the crisis.

A year ago, few people expected such a scenario for the development of events. Yes, there were problems, but with the summer season of 2014, many associated hopes for strengthening the industry, tour operators discovered new directions, including our resorts.

This summer, one of the priority tasks of the industry has become the development of internal tourism. The fully updated infrastructure of the Olympic Sochi was called upon to provide high-quality rest for those who decide to spend their holidays without leaving the limits of the country. In addition, the guests were waiting for the resorts of Crimea. For those who decide to spend vacation abroad, tour operators have prepared exclusive offers. However, the changes in the political and economic spheres have made adjustments to the plans of ours, which did not slow down to affect their vacation plans.

As a result, all of the bankruptcies were injured: tourists, travel agencies, tour operators. In this case, it is not only about financial losses, but also about reputational. Travel agencies note the reduction of customer number.

Managers of travel agencies who were selected and sold tours from broken tour operators, the first to take over the whole negative reaction from tourists, whose rest was spoiled. It is already clear that the expected amount of compensation, which will receive customers of the broken tour operators, will be significantly lower than the paid value of the tours. Therefore, today even those tourists who were not going to these in the summer on vacation, wonder where and how to go, not to be deceived, and whether it is worth going somewhere.

Tour operators are no less concerned about the current market situation. They seek to assure the agencies in their reliability and willingness to offer maximum efforts to ensure that cooperation continue to remain mutually beneficial.

How not to lose customer confidence

The main problem with which any tourist agency manager is now facing – Distrust of customers. Tourists as never afraid to lose their money, trusting an unreliable tour operator. Even if they themselves were not affected by this summer, they did not bypass numerous publications in the media on this topic, the stories of relatives and acquaintances.

Travel agencies will have to make efforts not to lose customers who directly suffered this summer. Whether they will turn to the agency again, in many respects will depend on how travel agents behaved in difficult for their tourists. If tourists were assisted in solving problems related to accommodation in the hotel, returning to their homeland and registration of an application to the insurance company to receive compensation, there is a chance that they will return back to the same agency.

How to stay «afloat» In the winter season

The summer tourist season is coming to complete, very soon it will be possible to summarize its results, and now active preparation for the upcoming winter season. It may not please not to rejoice the stabilization of the situation on the popular winter resorts from ours – Egyptian Thailand, whose share is traditionally large. UAE and India simplified the procedure for obtaining a visa, which will have a positive effect on the tour of these countries.

At the same time, it is worth considering that the negative impact on the upcoming season can have another fall of the ruble rate in relation to the dollar and the euro. Tourists will be forced to save either will decide to stay this winter at home.

Help travel agencies can come by banks offered by banks Credit programs for tourists. If the agency has a contract with a bank for lending services, it can offer a tourist to issue a tour or installment. Thus, the tourist will be able to acquire a suitable tour, regardless of whether he has the required amount to date.

Most likely, they will not expand, and the range of offered tours will be reduced and. Tour operators, predicting the unfavorable situation, will prefer to focus on the most popular areas of tourists, refusing the development of those demand for which may be small.

It is now that travel agencies need to constantly keep the hand on the pulse, be aware of what is happening on the market, follow the news, communicate with colleagues, try not to miss sectoral events.

Today it is very important to explain to customers who insist on discounts and are asked to send them to relax cheapering that free cheese is only in a mousetrap. Miser pays twice. The client who insists on a discount and says that in the neighboring travel agency it is offered an unreal low price, you can convince, using reliability as a more significant argument. Now there is no time to work at a loss and risk a company reputation, booking suspiciously cheap tours.

After recent bankruptcies, the number of tourists coming in the agency decreased. There is a reduction in sales depth. Tourists who are planning a trip a few months ahead doubt the feasibility of early booking. On the one hand, they are afraid of the further fall of the ruble exchange rate, because of which the cost of the tour eventually can increase. With another – afraid to lose money in the case of a possible bankruptcy of the tour operator. Such tourists make sense to offer a tour that will cost somewhat more expensive, but from the tour operator in a sustainable position of which there is no doubt. Laying the purchase of the tour, win in price is unlikely to succeed. The fall of the ruble exchange rate will not give tourists to save money, but the difference will be.

So that tourists do not fear, they need to give complete information about the tour operator with which they will go on vacation. To tell that their tour organizes a reliable tour operator, in the event of an unforeseen situation, he will support the Association «TURKEE». The manager must be able to answer all the questions arising from tourists, give all the necessary explanations.