UrBC, Yekaterinburg, August 23, 2010. ‘The number of tours booked this summer went up by an average of 30% compared with a year earlier. The most popular destinations have already sold out, but it’s still too early to sum the season’s gains up: travelers who prefer the high-class vacations usually take some weeks off in September when the ‘family tourism’ is on the decrease. Nevertheless, this summer’s bookings make it clear that Turkey has remained the top destination for the majority of local holiday-makers. On the other hand, Egypt, normally the second most popular vacation place, was replaced by Italy, Spain, and Greece,’ Director of OOO Elita Travel Tourist Firm Natalya Oborina informed UrBC.
‘The service in Turkey is certainly rather poor this year, which, however, does not affect its popularity. The recession hurt both Russia and Turkey badly, so the hotel owners are trying to save money on everything: they hire Byelorussian and Kazakh student workers who are willing to work for food, but the prices are still unreasonably sky-high,’ Oborina explained.