The Federal Agency for Tourism (Rosturizm) has decided to extend the sales window under the state tourist cashback program for two weeks - until September 14, 2021, the ministry said in a statement.

“Tourists can still buy package tours and accommodations with the option to travel from October 1 to December 24.

River and sea cruises can be started from September 1 until the end of navigation, ”the message says.

Sales of tours as part of the next stage of the tourist cashback program were supposed to end on August 31, however, as noted in the department, of the 6.7 billion rubles allocated by the government, another 400 million remained. low season.

“Tourists have two more weeks to plan their trip for the fall.

This is especially important for travelers who are wary of booking travel in advance during a pandemic.

Traveling in the fall has its advantages.

This is a large number of free infrastructure, hotels, you can plan your vacation more flexibly and cheaply, ”Doguzova explained.

According to the agency's estimates, thanks to the extension of the sales window in the fall and December, about 100,000 more tourists will be able to travel to Russia, as a result of which the industry will receive more than 2 billion rubles of additional income.

Along with this, Rosturizm suggested that the extension of the program's duration would allow attracting new tourists to cruise river directions.

“Tourists will be able to go on a trip immediately after purchasing a cruise, enjoy the velvet season by the water, admire the landscapes and historical cities painted in autumn,” the Rosturizm said.

  • Motor ship "Alexander Suvorov" plying the route from Volgograd to Rostov-on-Don

  • RIA News

  • © Sergey Pivovarov

Commenting on the decision of the department, the head of the analytical research department of the Higher School of Financial Management Mikhail Kogan noted its positive effect both for the industry and for tourists.

"Extending the program even for two weeks makes it possible to take a closer look at tours for the fall and December and choose an interesting direction," the interlocutor of RT stated.

He also expressed the opinion that the authorities should consider the possibility of extending the tourist cashback program for 2022 with the allocation of certain dates for the purchase of tours.

According to him, the corresponding request has already been made by the Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR).

“For example, in the winter to provide an opportunity to buy tours for the spring and so on.

Considering that more and more waves of pandemic and new strains of the virus are sweeping across the world, it is likely that the borders will not be fully open yet, while the demand for tourism will still remain high, ”Kogan said.

Recall that the tourist cashback program was launched in August 2020 to stimulate industries affected by the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic.

Its first stage took place from 21 to 28 August.

Citizens received compensation in the amount of 20% of the funds spent (but not more than 15 thousand rubles) for paying for trips around Russia lasting at least four nights and no less than 25 thousand rubles.

During the second stage of the program, the requirement for the minimum tour duration was reduced to two days, and the maximum refund amount increased from 15 to 20 thousand rubles.

At the same time, the requirement for a minimum tour price was canceled.

According to the Federal Tourism Agency, since the beginning of 2021, tours and accommodation for about 32.4 billion rubles have been purchased under the tourist cashback program, of which about 6.15 billion rubles have been returned directly to the Russians.

The most popular destinations are Krasnodar Territory, Stavropol Territory and Crimea.

Along with this, recreational tours to Altai and Tyumen are popular.

Cultural and educational tours to Pskov, Novgorod, Yaroslavl regions, Tatarstan, Kaliningrad, Moscow, St. Petersburg and Samara are also in demand.

The executive director of the Association of Tour Operators of Russia, Maya Lomidze, in a conversation with RT, called the information on the extension of the sales window under the tourist cashback program good news and noted that this support measure is needed both by the industry and by tourists.

“The fact is that our tourists are afraid to make plans far ahead and book tours in advance, because they are afraid of the closure of the regions. The recent imposition of quarantine restrictions in the Krasnodar Territory triggered this fear. Therefore, the extension of the sales window will certainly support the sale of tours for the autumn-winter season and will support, first of all, our consumers who were afraid to book, ”Lomidze said.