Russian Tour Operators Lose Over $400Mln Due To Coronavirus - Association

Russian Tour Operators Lose Over $400Mln Due to Coronavirus - Association

The preliminary financial losses of Russian tour operators from restrictions caused by the coronavirus outbreak amount to 27 billion rubles ($410 million), the Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR) said on Friday

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 28th February, 2020) The preliminary financial losses of Russian tour operators from restrictions caused by the coronavirus outbreak amount to 27 billion rubles ($410 million), the Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR) said on Friday.

"According to preliminary estimates, at the moment the loss of the Russian Federation of Tour Operators of all cases of prohibition and restrictions on the sale of tours to various countries, including Italy, is already of the order of 27 billion rubles," the statement said.

According to a poll conducted by Radio Travel, one of the most popular and largest private professional groups of travel agents on Facebook, 59 percent of respondents said that their sales had come to a complete standstill in the last week of February, and 23 percent of respondents announced a 70-80 percent decrease in tour sales.

On Thursday, the Russian Federal Agency for Tourism recommended that tour operators and travel agents suspend the sale of tourist products and certain services to Italy, Iran and South Korea, until the epidemiological situation in these countries goes back to normal.

The coronavirus disease, or COVID-19, originated in China but has since spread to dozens of nations around the world. So far, over 83,300 people have contracted the disease and more 2,850 have died from it. Italy, Iran and South Korea are currently experiencing the worst outbreaks in their respective regions.

However, the most recent figures indicate that over a third of the people who have contracted the disease have since recovered.