11/08/2019 16:19

Tour Operators Have To Reduce Air Traffic Volume To Romania

[IMG=20439-6183]At the moment tour operators that specialize in the Romanian market have to reduce planned air traffic volume to the country (a flight program consolidated by Balkan Express with Tu-204 operating flights once in two weeks and a weekly charter consolidated by Company PAKS together with Zhivie Kluchi by Boeing – 757). Thus, Pavel Borodin, Director of Zhivie Kluchi, said: ‘we had to adapt to the current demand. We have reduced air traffic volume for July 10th, 17th and 24th – three flights will be realized by TU-154 instead of Boeing’. As a result, air traffic volume was reduced by around 80 seats per week. Meanwhile, experts point out that even special offers do not stimulate the demand for Romania. They explain it by a stereotypical opinion that Romania is associated with something negative. In order to break the stereotype it is necessary to invest into advertising campaign. Furthermore, Ludmila Larkina, Director of Strop Travel Company, said: ‘the current situation was also provoked by inability of consolidators to come to an agreement at the beginning of the season when they expected a sudden increase in demand for Romania because of bird flu in Turkey but it did not happen’. ‘At the moment we operate one flight in two weeks as it was planned. We have enough bookings for our flights also because we can realize Bulgaria – Romania – Russia flights. However, the season is marked with excess of air traffic volume’, said a representative of Balkan Express. Nevertheless, tour operators forecast growth of demand for Romania in August. In general they assess thevdestination to be perspective despite the temporal slowdown of sales. For example, Sergey Prigolovkin, CEO of PAKS emphasized: ‘we do not plan to leave the Romanian market. It is a beautiful country with the sea, good beaches and an extending hotel fund’.