Covid-19, Crisis, Estonia, Tourism

International Internet Magazine. Baltic States news & analytics Friday, 29.03.2024, 05:45

Estonian travel agencies launching packages to countries with low infection rates

BC, Tallinn, 05.06.2020.Print version
- After suffering major losses due to the coronavirus pandemic, Estonian travel agencies are starting to offer travel packages to countries with low infection rates, while domestic tourism has seen an increase, according to the "Aktuaalne kaamera" news program of public broadcaster ERR reported LETA/BNS.

Since mid-March, travel agencies in Estonia have been mostly issuing refunds as well as arranging for Estonians' return from abroad.


"Turnover has dropped catastrophically," Mauri Saarend, director of airline, GDS and insurance sales at Estravel,said according to the English-language new portal of ERR. "We're processing a lot more returns than are seeing new sales. Some offices will close; people are being laid off."

While countries are reopening their borders, this has not meant an automatic increase in travel.

"Actually, perhaps the biggest problem is the lack of air connections," Saarend said. "In theory you could even travel to Turkey right now, for example, but all airports in Turkey re closed; you just can't get there."


Tourism companies are hoping that travel in Europe will become more convenient beginning next month.


Tour operator Tez Tour, which canceled all trips through the end of June due to the pandemic, is now keeping an eye on infection rates abroad as they begin organizing travel packages again.

"If we look at the statistics right now, it is Greece and Bulgaria where the infection rate has been comparable to Estonia's, meaning that these would suit our tourists," said Tez Tour marketing and sales executive Svetlana Vertjanova.






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