The tourism business, like any other, is subject to many risks, and companies often close due to unprofitability. But when a small travel agency stops working, the consequences are not as impressive as when a large tour operator declares its insolvency. That is why, when the Versa travel agency suspended its activities, it caused serious unrest in the market.
About company
LLC "Versa" began to work in 1999. It was one of the largest tour operators in St. Petersburg and in the northwestern part of Russia. The tour operator offered the opportunity to relax anywhere in the world. Depending on the capabilities of customers, he offered budget European Bus tours or group tours. And also the staff could help organize a real dream vacation for discerning clients for whom the price did not matter.
Before the Versa tour operator suspended its activities, it not only provided outbound tourism services of varying complexity for ordinary tourists, but also offered various programs for corporate travel companies. In addition, the company was engaged in domestic tourism and acted as a host in organizing visits of official delegations to the cultural capital.
year 2014
2013 was almost a record-breaking year And few expected that 2014 would become a nightmare for many travel companies and citizens who have already purchased tickets. A sudden crisis and a sharp appreciation of the currency did their job, as a result, many small agencies and several large players were forced to leave the market.
Not only the Versa tour operator suspended its activities, and as a result, more than 130,000 people had their vacation ruined. Luckier were those who were able to fly away and found out about the problems at the end of the vacation. Although the difficulties with paying for the hotel and waiting for information on how and when you can return to your homeland can hardly be called luck. Some have learned that they are not going anywhere, being at home and looking forward to a long-awaited trip. Moreover, it was possible to return the cost of the tour, but the procedure took time, the money was not returned immediately and not always in full. So the vacation was ruined anyway.
Leaving "Versa"
The St. Petersburg tour operator "Versa" suspended work on September 15, 2014, leaving about 9 thousand vacationers abroad and selling tours for the coming months for another 6 thousand people. According to the company, it decided to close only outbound tourism, but was ready to work on receiving guests, as well as develop the domestic direction. Versa added to the list of numerous large companies from St. Petersburg that declared their insolvency in 2014. Taking into account the fact that financial guarantees for a total amount of 210 million rubles were provided by three insurance companies, for further fate affected tourists, the company's management was not worried.
Conflict with Tourist Assistance
After the tour operator "Versa" suspended its activities, he announced his actual inability to take out his own tourists from their places of rest. The company turned to Turpomosch to return people back at their expense. The Tourist Assistance Fund is created at the expense of funds contributed by market participants involved in outbound tourism. Thus, in case of insolvency of one of the companies, the financial burden falls on others. The position of "Versa" outraged many, as the company closed only outbound tourism, leaving domestic tourism to generate income. At the same time, she was not going to bear responsibility to her clients and decided to shift it to others. The management of the company was given the condition of the immediate cessation of all activities. To continue to operate, the company had to deal with the problems of the return of its customers from other countries on its own. Then the tour operator "Versa" announced a complete suspension of activities. The company directed its remaining finances to the export of people, the shortfall was compensated by Turpomoshch. According to the fund's estimates, 3,000 tourists who did not have their return tickets needed real help.
As many analysts predicted, the St. Petersburg company was the last among those who left the tourism business in 2014. Taking into account the fact that the Versa tour operator suspended its activities at the end of the season, it was not necessary to expect new shocks in this market soon.
Moscow. September 15th. site - St. Petersburg tour operator "Versa" suspends activities in the field of international outbound tourism, but continues to work on domestic and international inbound tourism, Interfax was told on Monday by Rostourism.
"On September 15, the Versa tour operator announced the suspension of activities in the field of international outbound tourism. According to the tour operator, other activities - international inbound tourism and domestic tourism - are carried out as usual," the message on the Rostourism website says.
The report notes that compensation for damage will be made by the insurance companies SOAO VSK St. Petersburg branch, ZAO IC Avangard Polis and ZAO Insurance Company Avesta.
"Insurance companies have been notified of the suspension of activities of the Versa tour operator in the field of international outbound tourism," the report says.
Also, travel agencies that have an agreement with a tour operator must notify their tourists about the suspension of the activities of the Versa tour operator and the inability to fulfill their obligations under agreements on the sale of a tourist product in the field of international outbound tourism.
"The company guarantees that tourists and travel agencies will be provided with comprehensive assistance and support so that tourists can receive reimbursement of the cost of the tourist product at the expense of financial security amounts as soon as possible," the message says.
Earlier it was reported that according to preliminary figures, there are about 9 thousand clients of the tour operator abroad. Basically, these are Spain, Greece, Cyprus, Tunisia and other countries. All flights were paid.
According to preliminary information, 6,000 people bought tickets for the coming months. If it is necessary to evacuate tourists from abroad, Versa will do it on its own, while the financial guarantee should be enough.
The Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR) noted that the total amount of financial support for the company is 210 million rubles. "According to the unified register of tour operators, in 2013 the company's turnover amounted to 1.75 billion rubles," ATOR noted.
The versatile tour operator "Versa" has been operating on the market since 1999. The company was one of the leaders in receiving tourists in northern capital, the operator was also active in the outbound tourism market.
The suspension of Versa's activities continued the series of bankruptcies that began in the summer in the Russian tourist market. So, the impossibility to fulfill their obligations was previously announced by the St. Petersburg tour operator "Firma Neva", the company "Wind Rose Mir", the tour operators "Expo-Tour", "Ideal-Tour", "Labyrinth", the group of companies "IntAer", the tour operator "Nordic Star ", travel agency "Surgutkurort", tour operator "Wind of wanderings", travel agency "Formula have a nice rest", the travel operator "Etude", the Bryansk "Milan Tour", the travel company "Atlas" and the tour operator "Solvex-tour", the tour operator "Southern Cross" and the travel agencies "Sun Sea" and "Sky Tour". On the facts of fraud in some of these companies were prosecuted.
Tourism industry reform
In connection with the termination of the activities of many tour operators and travel agencies, the government ordered before October 1 to prepare interdepartmental legislation that would strengthen consumer protection in the tourism market in Russia.
So, about the creation of a register of travel agencies. According to the Minister of Culture of the Russian Federation Vladimir Medinsky, those agencies that do not meet the requirements will not be engaged in entrepreneurial activities.
He also explained that the government has abandoned plans for compulsory licensing, as it is not a 100% guarantee against bankruptcy of tour operators and only "creates a headache for the licensing authority" and preconditions for corruption.
At the same time, Medinsky noted that the authorities are considering several options for insurance in the field of tourism - from the introduction of compulsory insurance to strengthening the principles of imputed insurance, that is, insurance of travel companies themselves from the risk of bankruptcy.
One of the largest tour operators in St. Petersburg, the Versa company, which has existed since 1999, has suspended work in the field of outbound tourism. 9,000 Versa clients remain abroad.
Tour operator "Versa" suspends work "in the field of international outbound tourism", the company will continue to deal with international inbound tourism and domestic tourism as usual - as stated on its website. The tour operator has already notified the insurers about the situation, compensation to tourists will be paid by VSK, Avangard Polis and Avesta Insurance Company. The total amount of Versa's financial guarantees is 210 million rubles.
The return of tourists who are now abroad will be handled by the Tourist Assistance Association. There are about 9,000 Versa clients in Spain, Greece, Turkey, and Italy, the company's marketing director Sergei Tonkov told ITAR-TASS.
Mr. Tonkov clarified that "the export (of tourists) began a few days ago." However, according to him, only today in Pulkovo several people were removed from the flight, planning to visit Prague. According to an Interfax source, 43 passengers were not allowed on board the aircraft by the airline's employees after they had passed border control.
All return tickets for the next week have been paid, Irina Shchegolkova, press secretary of Rostourism, told ITAR-TASS.
Vice-President of the Russian Union of Travel Industry Yuri Barzykin - Kommersant FM:“Versa should be the last tour operator to go bankrupt, maybe the penultimate one. If they still endured in relations with the air carrier before, they would have agreed that only the return of tourists, and only a round-trip ticket, I think there would be much less damage. should be the last tour operator to go bankrupt, maybe the penultimate one. If they still survived in relations with the air carrier before, they would have agreed that only the return of tourists, and only a round-trip ticket, I think there would be much less damage.
According to Sergei Tonkov, the suspension of Versa's activities in the field of international outbound tourism is due to "the inability to fulfill obligations." 6 thousand people bought tours from Versa for the coming months.
Maria Zholobova
What will happen to the Russian tourism market
The state responded to the collapse of the tourism industry with loud statements about restoring order and strengthening regulation. The order is expected to be very specific, since the crisis in the tourism industry was largely the result of the actions of the authorities themselves.
How foreign tourists have faded into the background
In September, Rosstat adjusted the methodology for calculating key indicators of the tourism market, and now it turns out that in the first half of the year, the inbound tourist flow to the country increased tenfold, and the outbound one almost tripled. Meanwhile, tour operators have diametrically opposed data. Due to the political situation caused by military operations in neighboring Ukraine, the flow of foreign tourists from the EU and the USA has decreased to 60%. Russians began to relax abroad three times less often.
