Tour operators to ask Russian authorities to compensate for losses associated with coronavirus
MOSCOW. Feb 19 (Interfax) - Tour operators intend to ask the Russian authorities for compensation for the losses from the epidemic of coronavirus, Maya Lomidze, executive director of the Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR), told reporters on Wednesday.
"We believe it would be fair to discuss compensations not only to airlines, but also to tour operators for inbound and outbound tourism. We are working on a relevant address to the authorities," Lomidze said.
The Russian tour business may lose up to three billion rubles in missed profits from the outflow of Chinese tourists only in the period between February and early April, she said. If the track does not open in the summer, the losses will exceed 30 billion rubles, she said.
The Russian Transport Ministry earlier suggested compensating airliners 1.6 billion rubles for losses associated with the restrictions on flights to China due to the spread of coronavirus.
Russia stopped hosting organized groups of Chinese tourists on visa-free lists, a channel used by almost 80% of tourists to enter the country, in early February to prevent the epidemic of coronavirus from spreading. The issuance of Russian visas to individual tourists from China will stop on February 20.