Tourist flow from Ukraine to Turkey down by 10% due to unrest
The number of Ukrainian tourists leaving for Turkey today has dropped by some 10% due to the unrest in Turkey, Director of the Poekhali S Nami (Come with Us) travel firm Oleh Kulyk, said at a press conference at Interfax-Ukraine on Tuesday.
"We don’t have any refusals or postponements for Turkey, but people are going to other countries, instead of Turkey. This outflow to other destinations at present is around 10%," he said.
Kulyk said that the Poekhali S Nami travel firm sends over 100 people to Turkey every day, and tourists who booked the tours before the events in Turkey are not refusing to go to the country.
Those who planned to spend their holidays in Turkey, but did not buy a tour, are selecting other destinations, he said.
In turn, Commercial Director of Tez Tour Arkadiy Maslov said that Tez Tour has had almost no cancellations for Turkey. The agency postponed holidays or tourists selected other destinations.
He also said that losses of Tez Tour in Ukraine in the first two months of a revolution in Egypt came to some $3 million due to the reduction of tourist flows.
"We had to cancel flights, we paid fines to airlines and hotels. We don’t speak about the profit that we did not receive, but only about direct losses," he said.
President of the League of Insurance Organizations of Ukraine (LIOU) Natalia Hudyma said that direct or indirect expense of tourists due to wars, civil wars and revolutions are not compensated.
"If you go to Egypt or Turkey, listen to the recommendations of travel agencies. Stay on the territory of hotels, do not take part in revolts, revolutions, as if insurance event occurs, the insurance company will have the right not to pay a claim on it," she said.
A managing partner of the Volkov and Partners law firm, Oleksiy Volkov, said that there is no threat for tourists who use their tours in the right way and stick to the recommendations of travel agencies.
"As of June 3, 2013, the recommendations of the Foreign Ministry of Ukraine say that it is not recommended to participate in protest rallies and marches. There is nothing about not going on a trip," he said.
