Russian Tourist Market Launches New Hotel Partnership Program

to Promote Digital Travel Economy

The number of Russian citizens travelling abroad drastically increased within the last three years, with the overall figure in 2011 being just over 14 million as compared to 2013, when a clear boost of sales led to the rough estimates of around 17 million people travelling, as forecasted by recent research.

The current trends on the Russian tourism market are as such: 87% of Russians are willing to buy ready tour packages, whilst only 3% of these package tours are bought online, with the help of credit cards. This is a much lower figure as compared to European standards of 30-40%.

An impressive amount of 95% of all-inclusive deals bought using the services of intermediaries – travel agents and tour operators – gives strong grounds to believe that the Russian tourism market has a huge potential in terms of development ant attracting investors from all over the world.

However, the structure of the Russian tourist market is very complicated and is comprised of a long chain of tour operators, receiving parties, tour agencies and tourists themselves. More often than not, travel agencies virtually make travellers pre-book certain hotels thus clearly influencing the customer’s choice. When choosing a travel agency, the clients more often than not end up selecting the hotel that the travel agency is promoting at the moment.

Demand to create an ideal booking search engine and at the same time closely collaborating with domestic and foreign partners led to the idea of proposing a “co-operation plan”, thus simultaneously launching some newly-designed search engines and promoting Hotel Partnership Program s .

These partnership programs are specifically designed to bring bonuses directly to the targets, thus making motivating factors work better as the bonuses are paid to the travel agent only after the actual check-in – no pre-payments or hidden charges. By signing one contract only and affiliating the potential tourist to specific hotels, the bonus size can be customized and the overall trip tailor-made to the client. Undisputable transparency and top-notch customer services complete the deal as being easy and highly reliable.

What’s more important is that every participant of the all-inclusive deal has its own advantages – be it price per tour package, which is highly competitive and very attractive for the customers who enjoy being well taken care after, or the team whose success is driven by enthusiastic campaigns.

Hi-tech innovation solutions to enhance the fast turnaround provide rapid and efficient interaction of all market participants: tour operators, travel agents, hoteliers and the tourists themselves. Thus, the website is restored into the e-

commerce store that sells custom-tailored tours, both for “seasoned” travellers as well as those who are quite new to the industry.

In terms of relevance, accuracy of presenting information and complete range of services, the new cross-promotion program leads to professional recognition, whilst having highest ranks in promoting digital travel economy in Russia.

It goes without saying that the target audience of advanced booking and search engines vary considerably depending on the region, with the most advanced being the central part of Russia, while Siberia and Ural regions are not that technologically advanced due to their remoteness.

What makes a real difference is the completely renovated and eye-catching advertising campaign:

Banner ads on the main page as well as run-through banners on inner pages make placement easier in search results

News publishing and context ads – all contribute to easy navigation, user-friendly design and convenient search filters

Target banners and discounts for long-placements are available, thus making existing search schemes even more popular

The partnering companies are invited to appreciate the real efficiency of advertising on the new portal, being given the range of destinations as well as ports of departure all arranged in “smart” modules with publication of “bargain-sale” tours.

Bearing in mind the upcoming events and great attention attributed to Russia recently as the arena of many political, sporting and cultural events, Russian tourism industry is more than willing to welcome new partners from all over the globe.

So are you ready to join?