Coral Travel Is Entering The UAE Market

[IMG=20152-5917]One more Russian travel market player is entering the UAE destination – Coral Travel plan to launch its flight program to the country in autumn 2006. General Director of Coral Travel pointed out that the decision was not spontaneous: ‘the UAE is very popular among Russian tourists in winter. After 5 years the tourist flow will increase considerably. At the moment we intend to load 500 seats per week’. The attitude towards the initiative of Coral Travel appeared to be predictable in the travel market. Thus, Sergey Ovchinnikov, Sales Director of Space Travel, said: 'it is difficult to enter any destination. Here much depends on the incoming company’. However, Coral Travel have not announced its partners in the Emirates yet. Meanwhile, travel market experts emphasize the weakest point of the destination – shortage of hotels. For example, Taras Kobischanov, General Director of Russian Express, explained: ‘local hotels dictate the terms, hoteliers want to stay independent from tour operators, therefore, they allocate quotas to travel companies. At the moment it is possible to book either little blocks in popular hotels or big blocks in not promoted hotels’. Nevertheless, General Director f Coral travel pointed out that the Company has guaranteed blocks in popular hotels and focused his attention on current development of hotel base. However, experts doubt new hotels will be put into exploitation soon outlining the increase in number of rooms is possible in two-three years.