MINSK, 25 November (BelTA) - Russian travel companies will refund Belarusians the holidays booked for Turkey, BelTA learned from representatives of the travel industry.
For example, Russia travel company Tez Tour suspended the sale of Turkey holidays as of 25 November. "Currently in Turkey there are 28 Belarusians who purchased holidays from us and who flew to Turkey from Russia. About ten people have bookings with departure from the Russian Federation. They will be able to apply to the company and get a full refund,” said Olesya Sidorenko, the head of the advertising and pr department at Tez Tour Minsk.
Turkey is not a popular beach resort destination from November to March. “Currently, the Baltic states, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Belarus and some other countries are booking Turkey holidays for the summer season 2016,” she explained.
The decision to suspend the sale of Turkey holidays was also taken by another travel company Natalie Tours. On 24 November it suspended the sale of Turkey holidays on the territory of Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Belarus where it has its offices. The tourists will be able to cancel the holidays free of charge.
With regard to the Belarusians, who are currently in Turkey, they will return home as scheduled, at the end of their vacation. "There will be no emergency evacuation,” assured the travel company.
According to the Belarus National Statistics Committee, last year Turkey was the most popular tourist destination among Belarusian travelers. Some 116,000 Belarusians visited the country last year. Turkey is ranked 6th on the popularity ranking of the World Tourism Organization. This country is number one holiday hotspot for Germans and Russians.
A Russian Su-24 that participated in air operations against terrorists in Syria was shot down by the Turkish air force on 24 November. Several major Russian tour operators decided to suspend the sale of Turkey holidays.
Russia has already imposed a ban on air service to Egypt. This decision was taken amid security concerns in the wake of the Kogalymavia A321 crash on Sinai Peninsula on 31 October.
