The purpose of the rating is to bring transparency to the assessment of the work of tour operators based on open data, without the intention of predicting the bankruptcy of certain companies. This rating will be useful to all travelers in order to view data on the work of major tour operators.
Scoring system: The maximum possible final score of the tour operator based on the sum of all criteria is 100 points. The rating includes 24 largest tour operators, which were evaluated according to 10 main criteria that characterize the tour operator in terms of reliability.
tour operator
Key Facts
Rating of tour operators in Russia 2019
A huge number of lovers of exciting recreation prefer to spend weekends and holidays traveling. For some, travel is a great opportunity to have a great time, and for some, a tourist hobby that completely changes their lifestyle. To avoid disappointment and deceit, you need to know about the tour operator who is trusted to plan your vacation. It is also important that the company meets the indicators of a high level of service and reliability.
Parameters for evaluating travel companies
To choose a tour operator in Moscow that you can trust, you need to evaluate its professional level. You will need to find out how long the company has been on the market, as well as what services it provides.
- First of all, you should define the concept of "the largest tour operator". By "large" is meant a tour operator that owns large assets. Such a company is able to offer its customers many different offers in terms of the number of destinations related to the field of foreign and domestic tourism. It is very important that quantitative characteristics do not affect the quality of services provided.
- Further, the reliability rating of the company and the duration of its work in the travel services market are assessed without fail. After all, there may be situations in which clients, guided by the description of the tour according to the booklet, go there in reality, find themselves in much worse conditions. People turn out to be deceived by the tour operator, who did not fulfill the promised conditions and instead of a luxurious vacation provided services of mediocre quality.
- The most popular vacation is where there is a large influx of tourists, that is, an increased demand for certain services. If the proposed direction is in high demand, then it is worth stopping your attention. You should also check what additional services are offered: obtaining a visa, issuing insurance, booking hotels. You can focus on the colorful stories of friends, or use the Internet and look at the reviews. It is logical that preference should be given to the travel agency that has the largest number of positive ratings from customers.
Already the first wave of European sanctions forced the suspension of 6 tour operators, where 2 were fairly large and stable companies. Faced with such a problem in the summer of 2014, many domestic travelers began to be more selective in their choice of travel partners. But what are the most reliable tour operators in 2017, to whom you can safely entrust your well-deserved rest.
The safest thing is to book hotels on your own!
White list of tour operators 2017
Today, many travelers know what it's like to be stuck at the airport thousands of kilometers from home at the height of summer. The situation is unpleasant, moreover, no one is going to solve it. At least that was the case in 2017, when people waited in overcrowded airports to take off decommissioned passenger planes.
In order to avoid such unpleasant surprises in the future, before planning a vacation, you need to find out which are the most reliable tour operators today? 2017 is not particularly stable against the backdrop of a large-scale economic crisis, so it is advisable to choose "last-minute trips" or proven travel agencies.
Well, with last-minute tours, everything is not always smooth, but what are the most reliable tour operators in Russia in 2017, it is worth finding out in more detail.
Best Tour Operators 2017
So, the white list of tour operators in 2017 includes the following well-known companies at the domestic and international level:
- T ez Tour is a company that selects the most numerous destinations in international tourism. The main advantage is the availability of a personal airline and its own representative office with a fairly flexible pricing policy for all customers. The offices of this travel agency are located in many countries of the former Soviet Union, and negative reviews about its activities remain in the minority.
- In the category "The most reliable travel agencies in Moscow" in 2017, the company Pegas Touristik which began its activity in 1994. Egypt and Turkey have traditionally become the main destinations, and after 2008, their own airline appeared, carrying out passenger transportation on attractive terms.
- Domestic tour operator Coral Trave l also has a strong position in the tourism business, and owns the airline "Royal Flight". Passenger transportation is carried out in different directions on Boeings, and the conditions for successful cooperation are very loyal.
These are the most reliable travel agencies, in Moscow today it is difficult to find a tour operator that you can trust. That is why, in order to secure your vacation and budget, you need to choose the right travel company.
Basic rules for choosing the most reliable tour operators in Russia 2017
In order not to doubt the choice of a travel agency, and to sleep peacefully before an overseas trip, you need to pay attention to the following selection criteria:
- It is preferable to purchase a tour from the owners of airlines and hotels.
- An extensive system of partnerships around the world, that is, representation in several countries.
Rating of the 12 most reliable tour operators today
If you want to relax without problems, not to be afraid that your tour operator will go bankrupt just before your trip, you need to figure out who you can trust with your vacation. Identify key reliability criteria and evaluate them for major tour operators that create tours in all directions. In this article you will find the 12 best tour operators from which you can safely buy tickets and not be afraid that your vacation will fail.
Another important point - the tour operator and travel agency is perceived as one concept. In fact, there is a difference, and when planning a trip, it is worth understanding this issue. Well, I have prepared material on what to focus on when choosing a tour operator, how to choose the best and most reliable, whether it is worth contacting the services of travel agencies.
Before identifying the most reliable tour operators for today, you should first understand the concept.
Tour operator and travel agency - what's the difference
The tour operator develops and completes a tourist product. After all, a tour is not just a choice of travel direction, but a set of services that is expected from a tour operator:
- flight
- transfer airport-hotel and hotel-airport
- accommodation
- set of excursions
You probably remember how in past years tourists kept getting stuck at airports due to negligent tour operators. Now, for organizations that plan to work as tour operators, measures and standards have been approved at the state level. According to the document, they start working only when financial guarantees are provided. Before obtaining permission to operate, the tour operator makes a contribution to a specially created fund "Tourist Assistance".
Rostourism compiled the Unified Federal Register of Russian Tour Operators, all tour operators are listed there - i.e. firms that have made an insurance premium of at least 2,000,000 rubles, which have the right to create and sell tours.
Before paying for the tour, you should look into the official list from the Federal Tourism Agency and make sure that the tour operator is present there. So at least you protect yourself from scammers.
When the tour is prepared, it must be sold. The tour operator company can do this on its own, or it can delegate this part of the work to intermediaries. Here a travel agency is called an intermediary.
A travel agency works with several tour operators, and a tour operator may have several travel agencies.
The product itself, that is, the tour, is completed by the tour operator, and the travel agency acts only as a seller. The advantage here is that the seller will always tell you which tour is better to choose so that it meets your requirements and budget. In this case, the travel agency also analyzes which offer from which operator is right for you. You will not have to pay for the services of a travel agency, since the tour operator is interested in selling the product, and provides the agency with special conditions for purchasing a tour package. Therefore, it is better to go to a travel agency for a ticket, as there are a number of advantages:
- the travel agency will choose the tour of one of the tour operators (whereas the tour operator will not advise you on competitors' offers)
- some travel agencies provide additional discounts (albeit at the expense of their own commission), but more often the price for the tour will be the same in the agency and the operator
A good travel agency will not only provide a selection of vouchers for all tour operators, but also later through it you can find out if the hotel is paid, check whether the date of the reservation is set correctly. The probability of unexpected and unpleasant surprises already in the process of travel tends to zero.
Who is responsible for the tour - agency or operator
If there are questions about the tour, then the tour operator is responsible for claims, regardless of where exactly the tour was purchased.
© rawpixel / unsplash.com / CC BY 2.0
How to understand that a tour operator is trustworthy
And then the question arises, how to check the tour operator for reliability. Pay attention to such aspects:
1. How many destinations does the tour operator serve
The world is unstable, and if, for example, a cheap tour operator focuses mainly on Egypt and Tunisia, and tomorrow something goes wrong in one of the countries and tours are canceled there, then such an operator will most likely “sink”, which is inevitable impact on tourists. If the company has a large number of destination countries, then the risk of being at the airport with a canceled flight is much lower.
2. Availability of host companies
A reliable tour operator makes sure that he has his own travel companies and travel agencies in the host country. The task of these organizations is to book and pay for the hotel, organize transfers and excursions. The journey will be much more comfortable if people from the same company work from beginning to end.
3. Arrangements with airlines
This criterion affects, first of all, the cost of air tickets, which make up the lion's share of the price of a tour package.
4. Financial stability of the insurance company
Even a perfectly planned vacation can collapse under the influence of certain events (flight cancellation, denial of accommodation, bankruptcy of a tour operator, etc.). In this case, an insurance company is included in the work, on the financial stability of which (solvency) the guarantee of insurance payments depends.
It is not always so easy to find out the reliability of a tour operator according to these selection criteria on your own, so I have prepared this rating for you. The rating is formed not only by prices, but also by the quality of services provided:
- obtaining a visa
- issuance of an insurance policy
- hotel room booking
Also the number of claims from tourists and the level of development of the network of agencies were taken into account(After all, the more they know about the operator, the higher his sales volume). In the tourist registry, you will see the names of companies that are well known today. Since almost all the leading tour operators of the Russian Federation are recognizable thanks to advertising.
You can't go wrong with this list of trusted tour operators.
© platformlondon / flickr.com / CC BY 2.0
Reliability rating of tour operators
Top three are led by TUI Coral Travel and Tez Tour. They periodically change places, but always in the lead.
| Place | tour operator | Year of creation | Main directions | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Coral Travel | 1992 | 98/100 | |
| 2 | TUI | 1995 | Turkey, Cyprus, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Spain | 98/100 |
| 3 | Tez Tour | 1994 | Turkey, Cyprus, Spain, Greece, Tunisia | 92/100 |
| 4 | Anex Tour | 1996 | Dominican Republic, Turkey, Thailand, Greece, Tunisia | 90/100 |
| 5 | Sunmar | 2005 | Turkey, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Greece, Tunisia | 90/100 |
| 6 | Pegasus | 1994 | Turkey, Thailand, Spain, Greece, Tunisia | 88/100 |
| 7 | Intourist | 1929 | Turkey, Russia, Thailand, Italy, Greece | 88/100 |
| 8 | Mouzenidis Travel | 1995 | Cyprus, Russia, Bulgaria, Armenia, Greece | 86/100 |
| 9 | Biblio Globus | 1994 | Turkey, Cyprus, Russia, Montenegro, Greece | 86/100 |
| 10 | Vedi TourGroup | 2002 | Czech Republic, Russia, Bulgaria, Sri Lanka | 82/100 |
| 11 | PAC Group | 1994 | Czech Republic, Italy, France | 82/100 |
| 12 | ICS Travel Group | 1992 | Israel, Cyprus, Russia, Montenegro, Italy | 82/100 |
- Company Coral Travel- leader in Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Poland, Georgia and Turkey. Over 25 years of experience. The organization is part of the OTI Holding group of companies (which undoubtedly adds a "coin" to the company's reliability treasury). The tour operator practices regular and charter passenger transportation.
- Number of destinations: 28
- : 1,66%
- TUI is a European tourist giant, the company serves up to 30 destinations, has a developed agency network under a personal brand. Works for over 40 years. Provides an exceptional tourism product with many interesting concepts. There are planes and hotels.
- Number of destinations: 30
- Share of negative customer reviews: 1,95%
- Tez Tour- this Russian tour operator can no doubt be entrusted with a vacation, and it will be held at its best. It has been operating since 1994 and specializes in two dozen destinations, including Turkey, Thailand, Egypt, Spain, etc. At the mere mention of Tez Tour, alluring pictures of beaches and sea sunsets appear. The company with the smallest share of dissatisfied customers - only 1%.
- Number of destinations: 20
- Share of negative customer reviews: 1,07%
- On the threshold of the top three while the company is trampling SUNMAR TOUR and it is quite possible that one day she will be able to get there. Sanmar, like Coral Travel, is part of the international structure of OTI Holding. And the people called SUNMAR cheap Coral. Vouchers are really cheaper here, and many tourists do not feel the difference in tours.
- Number of destinations: 14
- Share of negative customer reviews: 4,12%
- Anex Tour serves over 32 countries. The most successful destinations of this tour operator are Spain, the Dominican Republic and Thailand. It is famous for its inexpensive collections of tours. I once flew with them to Vietnam, I was surprised that in a 6-hour flight, both there and back, we were fed 2 times.
- Number of destinations: 32
- Share of negative customer reviews: 7,25%
- FROM NTK Intourist it is convenient to go not only to hot beaches, but also to winter ski slopes. Intourist is engaged in 23 destinations, including the UAE, Thailand, Italy, Austria, Vietnam, India, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic and others. The organization of domestic tours in Russia is also a rather impressive part of the tour operator's activities.
- Number of destinations: 14
- Share of negative customer reviews: 4,12%
- At PEGAS there is a suitable tourist product for all categories of citizens. Pegas works in 22 directions, organizing group, individual and corporate tours. With a developed agency network (more than 500 points of sale), it is not difficult to purchase a tour from Pegas Touristik. It has its own Pegas Fly carrier with 29 aircraft, as well as a line of hotels with the PGS abbreviation in the name.
- Number of destinations: 20
- Share of negative customer reviews: 3,18%
- tour operator ICS offers tours around the world and Russia, on the market for over 25 years. In addition to Russia, own representative offices are opened in 7 more countries. Effectively resolves visa issues in almost all areas, thanks to accreditation in the consulates of working countries.
- Number of destinations: 40
- Share of negative customer reviews: 4,17%
© Skitterphoto / pixabay.com / CC BY 2.0
Useful Services
For those who are “their own travel agent”, services that allow you to search for tours for all tour operators will be very useful:
In order for the trip to end with only pleasant memories and a huge number of photos in the social network feed, careful preparation and the right choice of a tour operator are required. Entrust the choice to a travel agency or conduct an independent market analysis - it's up to you.
The time of small, poorly organized travel service operators has passed: after the crisis, due to a series of bankruptcies, several dozen large companies remained on the Russian market that managed to stay afloat. Facts such as fierce competition and the presence of large capital in the tourism business played into the hands of ordinary vacationers. The remaining firms are better organized, reasonably reliable and offer more attractive services. Among these "titans" a dozen companies stand out in particular: we bring to your attention the top best travel operators in the Russian Federation according to the reliability rating from Travelata and the opinion of vacationers who have already used their services.
TOP-10: Large tour operators in Russia, rating of the best and most reliable
10th place. Mouzenidis Travel
Regional operator offering high quality holiday services in Greece. The company is part of the Mouzenidis Group holding, which is engaged in a purely tourism business: its own hotels near the best beaches, excursions to memorable and historical places, and the organization of entertainment events. In addition to mainland Greece, you can arrange tours to Rhodes and Crete. Organizes flights to rest from both capitals, several regional centers, Kyiv and Minsk.
Partly - yes.
Own hotels
What is the difference between a travel agency and a tour operator? A travel agency is a simple intermediary company that cooperates with several travel operators and offers exactly their services. Moreover, we want to note that it is not always profitable to directly order services from operators: no matter how ridiculous it sounds, but the selection of an individual tour can be more expensive than from intermediaries. There are several objective reasons for this: firstly, the operator sells group, complex offers to them, and secondly, a number of agencies hold regular promotions, due to which the price of a ticket is significantly reduced.
9th place. "Biblio Globus"
A company with a long history of work: it has been in the travel services market for 24 years. In addition to regular tours, it also organizes shopping tours, vacations on a cruise ship and ski resorts. The geography of routes is the most diverse - the countries of America, Asia, Africa and Europe. Most of the customer reviews are very positive.
📍 Availability of representative offices at the place of rest?
Are present.
🏨 Guaranteed hotel reservations?
For the most part, yes.
👎 The number of dissatisfied customers (according to reviews):
8th place. AnexTour
For several years in a row, it has been among the top companies offering the best travel services in Thailand and Spain. Receiving offices are located in 10 countries in Europe, Asia and the Arabian Peninsula. In addition to foreign tours, the list of services includes trips to the beaches of Krasnodar. Regional representative offices in Russia are opened in 42 largest cities.
📍 Availability of representative offices at the place of rest?
Yes, there are managers and offices.
🏨 Guaranteed hotel reservations?
There are on most routes, there are own hotels.
👎 The number of dissatisfied customers (according to reviews):
7th place. ICS Travel Group
A multidisciplinary tour operator offering services for mass recreation. Among the interesting services, it is worth noting club recreation, as well as organizing recreation for the smallest: while parents are relaxing, their children will be occupied in children's mini-clubs designed for children aged two to six and seven to twelve years old. With the help of "ICS Travel Group" you can order tours to Europe (including the Baltic countries), Africa (Tanzania, Kenya), Asia and the Mediterranean.
📍 Availability of representative offices at the place of rest?
Yes, on most routes.
🏨 Guaranteed hotel reservations?
In most cases, yes.
👎 The number of dissatisfied customers (according to reviews):
6th place. "Pegas Touristic"
A large company offering holidays in 22 countries around the world. Collaborates with the world's best hotels: the full list is more than two and a half thousand items. You can order individual and group tours, there are unique VIP-offers, participate in sports and corporate recreation. It works together with several major Russian air carriers, organizes flights from 50 major cities of the Russian Federation.
📍 Availability of representative offices at the place of rest?
Yes, they are on most routes.
🏨 Guaranteed hotel reservations?
There are hotels owned by the company in many host countries.
👎 The number of dissatisfied customers (according to reviews):
5th place. «NTK-Intourist»
International holding, with a significant part of the Russian capital. Engaged in both external and internal tourism in Russia. It has its own network of travel agencies, through which it mainly sells the proposed tours. In addition to the usual beach holiday, it offers sightseeing and sports holidays in ski resorts. Geography - the countries of Europe, Asia, the Mediterranean.
📍 Availability of representative offices at the place of rest?
🏨 Guaranteed hotel reservations?
On most routes.
👎 The number of dissatisfied customers (according to reviews):
4th place. "Sunmar"
The company offers a profitable vacation both in terms of quality and price for services. There are regional offices in 37 cities of Russia. Collaborates with the most worthy hotels of various price categories. Winner of several Russian and international awards and prizes for his contribution to the development of tourism. Geography of tourist routes: Europe, Mediterranean, Asia, Latin America.
📍 Availability of representative offices at the place of rest?
Yes, there are own companies.
🏨 Guaranteed hotel reservations?
Service provided
👎 The number of dissatisfied customers (according to reviews):
3rd place. Tez Tour
It offers a wide choice of recreation for all categories of tourists. The list of services includes unique VIP-offers, children's recreation, and also organizes seminars and conferences. 73 offices located in 23 countries of the world: uses only its own receiving and sending offices. It works together with the world's leading air carriers and several respectable hotel chains.
📍 Availability of representative offices at the place of rest?
Yes, there are own companies.
🏨 Guaranteed hotel reservations?
On most tourist routes.
👎 The number of dissatisfied customers (according to reviews):
2nd place. "TUI"
Part of the international holding TUI Group, headquartered in Germany. The total number of employees is 76 thousand in 130 countries of the world. Owns its own airlines, hotels and cruise ships. Organizes rest for every taste and any thickness of the wallet: beach, cognitive, sports and cruise. Geography - 32 countries of the world, plus domestic tourism.
📍 Availability of representative offices at the place of rest?
Yes, there are own companies.
🏨 Guaranteed hotel reservations?
On most tourist routes.
👎 The number of dissatisfied customers (according to reviews):
1 place. coral travel
Another subsidiary of an international travel holding that owns its own hotels and air carriers. From Russia, with the help of this tour operator, you can get to 35 countries of the world, flights are carried out from 40 cities of our country. In addition to group and individual recreation, it carries out cruise tours, organizes seminars, and has corporate offers. Hotels from three to five stars - there are more than 5 thousand of them around the world.
📍 Availability of representative offices at the place of rest?
There are everywhere.
🏨 Guaranteed hotel reservations?
Most tourist routes have their own hotels.
👎 The number of dissatisfied customers (according to reviews):
What is the best tour operator to choose?
In our rating of tour operators there is not much difference between the companies: they are all distinguished by high quality and variety of services provided. They have their own receiving offices and hotels, the service is excellent for everyone, problems with the transfer (air travel, arrival and check-in at the hotel) are extremely rare. Therefore, the final choice will depend only on where exactly and in which country you want to go for your vacation.
Rostourism has excluded 29 tour operators from the Russian register, including several regional operators under the brands Pegasus, TO Coral Travel Center, Russian Express, Natalie Tours and others. This does not mean that all Coral Travel and Natalie Tours have stopped working - only a few.
If you have a ticket and an agreement with a tour operator in your hands, check the legal entity of the tour operator with the registry. If it is not on the register, call the travel agency and ask how things are going.
Don't panic, everyone will fly away ✈️
The excluded companies will no longer operate in the outbound tourism industry. However, they did not close and did not go bankrupt, but continue to fulfill their obligations to tourists.
Why were they expelled?
In 2017, all tour operators must create personal liability funds that will work as additional insurance for tourists. If the tour operator goes bankrupt or suspends activities, tourists will not be affected.
The size of the fund depends on the size of the tour operator, its maximum is 7% of the annual turnover. Until January 31, all operators had to pay a minimum entry fee of 100,000 rubles. Those who did not pay were excluded from the registry.
What should I do if my tour operator is not in the register?
First, make sure that the operator is really not in the registry. The fact is that many large companies create several legal entities at once under one brand. Therefore, carefully check the name of the operator in your contract with the one that is written on the website of the Federal Tourism Agency.
Even if your tour operator is really excluded, do not rush to panic. Contact the agency where you bought the ticket. Your agent should clarify the information with the tour operator. If the holiday does not take place, the tour operator must pay damages.
What and when to do to return the money?
If you are sure that your tour operator will not be able to send you on vacation, do not wait for the start date of the tour, but immediately claim damages.
First, write a written request to the tour operator. In the request, indicate your personal data, contract details, dates and other details of the canceled trip, the amount of compensation.
If the tour operator refuses or is unable to reimburse the cost of the tour, find information on financial security in the contract. You need to find out which company has insured the liability of the tour operator or provided him with a bank guarantee. The next requirement is to write to this company.
If a bank guarantee or insurance is not enough to compensate for the damage, you can write a third claim - to the Turpomoshch association, which manages the tour operator's personal liability fund.
So you don't have to worry?
You don't have to worry. Although the personal liability fund will work in full force only after 7 years, during the transition period there is a triple protection for tourists: insurance or a bank guarantee, a personal liability fund and the Tourist Assistance reserve fund.
