[IMG=20509-6248]As a heat wave swept much of Europe and temperatures hit 40 degrees in shade the continent remembered the summer of 2003 when 30,000 people died from heat and its consequences. However, the weather in European countries does not prevent Russian tourists from traveling to European resorts.
Thus, Dmitry Fomintsev, General Director of Tourtrans Voyage, said: ‘Russian people book tours to Europe in advance, get visas; therefore, I believe hardly anybody will cancel their trips owing hot weather in Europe’. Boris Blinov, Director of Altus – tour operator, added: ‘there is certain discomfort provoked by hot weather, but still nobody has cancelled a tour due to this reason’.
Tour operators point out frequent cases of conditioner breakdowns. Besides, they have to adopt changes to excursions in European cities, for example, to hold outside excursions early in the morning. Special measures are taken to provide comfort for tourists. Thus, Olga Akimova, the Head of European Department of Neva Travel Company, commented: ‘in excursion buses we provide our clients with bottles of water. Each group is supervised by two people – a guide and a person who controls the situation, take care of tourists’. Such heat might provoke health problems for tourists, however, according to insurance companies, they are not considered to be insured accidents. For example, Natalia Kotova, Specialist of Individual Insurance Department of Avikos, said: ‘sunstrokes, allergies, sun burns are not insured accidents. Besides, insurance does not cover cases when chronic diseases aggravate because of the heat. Travel companies must inform tourists about this for their clients to decide whether to go to ‘melting’ Europe’.
