Early booking of tours abroad. What is early booking of tours? Who sets the prices and rules of the game? Travel agency

Now is the time to think about a vacation in the summer of 2017. In this regard, the question of the “Early Booking” promotion, which has been on everyone’s lips for several years now, has become more relevant than ever, but not everyone fully understands what it is . We will dispel the most common misconceptions and speculations about the Early Booking promotion.
And the head of the sales department of the tourist operator “Muzenidis Travel” Evgeniy Kiselev will help us with this.

What is “Early Booking” really?

This promotion has existed on the Russian tourism market for several years now, and that’s all more tourists prefer to book tours this way - in 2016, every fourth tourist from Russia vacationed in Greece using “Early Booking”.

If you don’t go into details and speak in simple words, the essence of the “Early Booking” promotion is that you simply book your vacation in advance, and for this you receive incredible discounts, which can even reach 55% of the full cost of the tour.

How does this work?

This is a completely mutually beneficial promotion for all participants in the “tourism process” - travel agents, operators, hoteliers, and most importantly - for tourists. By taking advantage of this promotion and booking a tour in winter, a tourist is guaranteed to receive a huge discount that he cannot get with any other promotion, and can also choose any holiday dates he needs for the next summer, hotel, room category and even type of food.

Big discounts are not the main thing!

Of course, it’s nice to book a tour at half the price, but there are other reasons to use Early Booking. Considering the huge demand in the 2016 season for the main destinations of the tour operator Mouzenidis Travel - Greece and Cyprus - booking a tour for the summer of 2017 in advance is simply necessary, since at the height of the summer season there will simply not be rooms available in all the best hotels.
They will not be more expensive, they simply will not be available in principle, and you will have to choose from the rest. And few people want to risk their long-awaited vacation, so it’s best to book an “Early Booking” tour and gain peace of mind that this summer you will definitely be able to enjoy a quality vacation.
Also, the “Early Booking” promotion has very flexible payment rules, namely: 50% of the cost must be paid within 5 days after confirmation, and the remaining 50% at any time convenient for the tourist, but no later than 2 weeks before arrival. Essentially, this is a tour in installments, but without any risks.

Why do tour operators, travel agents and hoteliers offer such discounts?

As has already been said, “Early Booking” is beneficial for everyone, and now we will tell you something that few people talk about - what is the benefit of this for tour operators, travel agents and hoteliers.
It will be no secret that winter is not the most profitable season for tourism, so travel agencies are happy to take advantage of the additional opportunity to ensure financial stability and well-being in winter period, which is the “Early Booking” promotion.
Also, for travel agencies this is an opportunity to lay the foundation for the future summer season, and in order to encourage agencies to take advantage of this (and now, not all agencies understand the real prospects that Early Booking opens up), the tour operator Mouzenidis Travel has launched an additional promotion “Minus - 10% when paying for the tour within 5 days after confirmation of the tour”, that is, tourists will be able to receive another -10% in addition to -55% for “Early Booking”, and relax for only a third of the real cost of the tour.
For tourism operators, this is an opportunity to start making a profit from the future summer season long before it begins, which allows them to provide better service for tourists, more accurately plan flight programs and pay for guaranteed hotel room quotas, taking a more confident position in the tourism market and offering the most competitive prices.
For hoteliers, this is a good way to sell rooms in advance for next summer already in the winter and renovate the number of rooms, improve food, expand the entertainment infrastructure before the onset of the season, in order to welcome their guests in the summer offering them the most quality rest and get regular customers who will come to them next summer, and maybe even in the fall, during the velvet season.

Myths about Early Booking

Despite all the advantages of the promotion, sometimes controversial situations arise that need to be sorted out and finally dispelled all the myths that “Early Booking” has acquired.

Myth No. 1: “The discount will be even greater in summer”

8 years ago, when the “Early Booking” promotion first appeared, situations often arose when hoteliers and tour operators, having incorrectly calculated their capabilities, were forced to take big discounts at the height of the season. But in eight years, everyone has already learned from their mistakes and the tourism market has changed a lot.
In the 2016 season, we did not observe such cases that in the summer prices were lower than for “Early Booking”, and given the great popularity of the main destinations of the tour operator “Mouzenidis Travel”, the demand for which already exceeds supply, in the Summer 2017 season this situation is completely excluded, that is, by booking a tour in advance you are guaranteed to win. In any case, loyal cancellation conditions allow you to rebook an already paid tour for another at the current price.

Myth No. 2: “The flight on which the tour is booked may be cancelled”

In principle, of course they can, but only because of some force majeure situations from which no one is immune. But in this case, the tourist will be offered worthy alternatives and many bonuses during your vacation (“upgrade” rooms, bonus excursions, individual transfers and much more). Responsible and experienced tour operators, like Mouzenidis Travel, realistically calculate their capabilities and the potential of flight departure cities in the summer, thus eliminating the possibility of flights being canceled for reasons that not enough tours are sold.

Myth No. 3: “I’ll book a tour in advance and won’t be able to fly”

For the tour operator Mouzenidis Travel, there is absolutely no difference in the cancellation rules for a regular tour and an Early Booking tour. That is, if you cancel your tour 2-3 weeks before departure, you will receive a full refund. If you have serious circumstances that do not allow you to go on vacation, then all tours from Mouzenidis Travel include a “No Travel Guarantee”, which, for really serious reasons, allows you to avoid fines from canceling the tour.

Myth No. 4: “I’ll book for some dates, but they’ll give me vacation for others, and I won’t be able to go.”

If you want to change the dates, change the room category or change the number of tourists in the room, you can do this at the same discount with which you originally booked the tour. This is really useful if, for example, you are not given vacation on the dates you originally expected.

Myth No. 5: “In the summer, the exchange rate will decrease and I will lose money if I pay for the tour in advance”

Half of the tours under the “Early Booking” promotion are paid in full immediately (this is stimulated by the “Minus 10%” promotion for full payment within 5 days after confirmation of the tour). But if you want to delay payment, and initially pay only half of the cost, and the rest 2-3 weeks before arrival, then even if by this time the course national currency Russia against the euro at the time of payment will decrease by 50% (which is unlikely), then you will still not lose anything, since initially you already received a 55% discount on the cost of the tour.

Myth No. 6: “I’ll book the promotion when it ends, but now I’ll wait”

One of the principles of “Early Booking” is that the earlier you book, the greater the discount. The promotion takes place in several stages, each of which has smaller discounts. The last stage of the promotion may end at the end of March - beginning of April, but the discount will no longer be 40-55%, but 15-25%.

Myth No. 7: “The tour operator will go bankrupt and I will lose money”

The Russian tourism market has recently experienced many shocks that may be repeated. Therefore, I recommend that tourists and agents pay attention not only to the cost of the tour, but also to its quality, as well as the reputation of the tour operator. Choose only experienced and trusted tour operators who have major financial funds behind them - airlines, hotel chains, bus fleets.

Tips for tourists

The most joyful thing about a pre-booked tour is the knowledge that you are definitely going on vacation! But the benefits of planning travel in advance don’t stop there. Let's figure out why early booking is becoming increasingly popular among tourists - even those who were skeptical about the offers of travel agencies.

Early booking is considered to be purchasing a tour before the start of the season, that is, 1-3 months in advance. But in practice, a truly profitable booking is 4-5 months before the vacation or even earlier. If you are lucky, you can save about 50% of the final cost of the trip. Agree, not bad?

There is no catch here, there are benefits early booking easy to explain. Resorts, hotels and air carriers actively make money from tourists during the hot seasons, which different countries happen in different times. But in order to prepare for the influx of travelers, during the low season all participants in the tourism industry try to find resources for this. Hotels and airlines are looking for funds to repair rooms, planes and other needs - they sell tours to tour operators at a low price, and tour operators immediately begin to sell them in order to immediately return part of the invested funds. Everyone benefits immediately, including the traveler.

The ability to plan trips in advance will allow you to save significantly on travel!

What to do before booking:

Coordinate vacation with management

Even if you do not know specific departure dates before booking a tour, discuss with the management at least the approximate time of your vacation. It will be incredibly annoying if you buy a great tour for the end of August, and the boss says that in the last month of summer you have to be in the office because it’s not your turn to relax, this time is occupied by another employee. Always be one step ahead of the rest and remember that in the phrase “early booking of tours” to Europe, Asia and anywhere else, the key word is “early”.
Decide exactly how you want to relax

Literally everything depends on how you want to spend your time on vacation: where you should go, what region of the country, what months, and even what hotel to stay at. Decide what is more pleasant for you - noisy streets in the city center or a relaxing holiday on the coast away from civilization, an all-inclusive system or just breakfast and a large package of excursions. If you are going on a trip with a warm family circle, simply choose the most comfortable apartments, and if you want to establish contact with locals, communicate and make new acquaintances, think about the fact that residents of other countries also go on vacation. For example, in Madrid, as in many other European cities, at the end of summer it is much more difficult to meet a local than a tourist.
Solve all problems with documents

If you dare to book early tours to Europe, the USA and other countries where a visa is required, check all your documents. The passport must be valid for at least another period three months after the end of your trip. If you neglect this condition, you may be denied a visa. In addition, any tour is issued according to your current documents. And if you bought a trip, planned everything, and then suddenly lost your passport or decided to get married and change your last name, and then all your documents, then problems cannot be avoided. For making any changes to the information about people who booked the tour, hotels and airlines will ask for a substantial surcharge.
Collect enough money

Most often, early booking of tours for holidays and not only involves 100% payment within a fairly short period of time, up to three days. When planning to go on a trip and contacting a tour operator for offers, you should at least roughly estimate beforehand how much the trip will ultimately cost, whether you have that amount of money or whether you can quickly collect it.

How to book a tour in advance

There are two key points in planning a trip: travel time and destination. It’s worth starting from them when it comes to early booking tours for 2018.

If you have decided on your vacation dates or direction, it's time to act! The rules are simple: it is best to plan a summer holiday in winter or early spring, and winter holidays in summer and early autumn.

The travel agency will select options for you according to the requested criteria. In the summer they will offer to book a trip to , in , in , and on ski resorts for the coming winter season. And in winter, you can think about holidays in, on and in other countries popular for summer holidays. The best thing is that it will cost you several times less than a few weeks before departure, and in addition, you will be able to choose exactly the travel option that suits you perfectly. Early booking guaranteed wide choice offers: all the scarce hotels that are booked up during the high season will be available, and you won’t have to sacrifice your comfort and be content with what’s left.

All travel agencies actively practice early booking of tours, so do not hesitate to contact us even six months in advance

Tour cancellation and travel insurance

If you buy a tour in advance, you will most likely have to pay the entire amount for it at quite a short terms. And the only disadvantage of early booking tours for holidays and vacation periods is that if the trip is cancelled, you will lose a significant part of the money, if not the entire amount. For refusing a trip or replacing one traveler with another, you will be subject to a large fine - from 40% to 90% of the total cost of the tour. And in some cases, according to the rules of the concluded contract, the tour operator may not return anything to you at all, so always carefully read the conditions stated in the text.

Unfortunately, the risk of trip cancellation always exists. In the 4-6 months that separate you from your trip, anything can happen: you change your job, move to another city, decide to have a child, or, in the end, you simply change your mind.

Cancel the trip from minimal losses incredibly difficult, so some decide to take out travel insurance.

The list of insurance events for which you may be compensated for damage will include:

illness of close relatives or yours, requiring only hospital treatment;
visa refusal;
military training;
death of a relative requiring your return;
subpoena;
contraindications to vaccination, which is mandatory for entry into the country.

But if you attempted suicide, ended up in the hospital due to alcohol intoxication, cannot travel due to work, pregnancy or quarantine, became a victim of fraudulent tour operators or found yourself in the epicenter of a terrorist attack, insurance against travel restrictions, unfortunately, will not help you in any way.

Early booking of sea tours

Holidays at sea - early booking. This is almost always the case, even if you are gathered in . By the way, what is stopping you from planning a trip to Russian resorts, to Crimea or Krasnodar region? If you think that booking a trip is logical and makes sense only abroad, and on the shores of Loo you will somehow find refuge for yourself, then you are very mistaken. Even the most pessimistic travelers, confident that they are always being scammed, cannot deny that package tours and tours are not evil, but a guarantee that you will get what you wanted, because tour operators would not be able to sell so many unprofitable offers every year.

Most people prefer it in summer beach holiday, therefore it is very important to take care of purchasing a sea tour in advance

If you are going to the sea in the summer, like most tourists, then the deadline for early booking is usually April. And if your plan is to hide from the New Year’s snow somewhere on the beaches, then you can plan a year in advance, but certainly no later than November.

Early booking of tours for holidays

When the question arises about early booking of tours for holidays, it is important to understand: these are global holidays or only Russian ones. For example, with the same New Year, everything is quite clear - it is, one way or another, celebrated almost everywhere in Europe and even in some Asian countries. Therefore, flights not only from Russia, but also around the world in late December - early January are always expensive. Accordingly, the cost of tours also increases.

And if we are talking about May holidays or Orthodox Easter, then everything is not so simple here, and you will probably be able to find a ticket without much markup due to calendar dates.

Booking tours to Europe

Early booking of tours to Europe also has its own nuances. When planning a trip to a country, be sure to check the schedule for national festivals, religious holidays and other events that may enrich or detract from your stay there. By obtaining such information in advance, you will be able to catch those events that interest you and avoid those that you would not like to encounter. For example, in some European countries there are significant floods and storms in autumn, spring and even summer, which recur from year to year. Also, all capitals are flooded with tourists most of the year, and if you want to walk through museums and narrow streets freely, and not jostle with elbows, choose the least popular months with tourists - February or November.

The practice of early booking of tours is very common today, and if you manage to plan your vacation competently and clearly, then feel free to take advantage of this wonderful opportunity to save money and plan for everything. For many Europeans who like to plan everything in advance, for example, Germans, this has long become commonplace and commonplace.

Here’s how it goes for others, but personally, back in October I get the feeling of a new year, and since January 10 I’ve already been living in the summer. And the most important entertainment last months winter is the organization of summer holidays. I painstakingly go through hotels, read reviews, check the map. Someone will say - she’s crazy, looking for a hotel in January, when there are at least 5 more months before the vacation! But I will answer you - I like my vacation to be carefully planned, and the risks of missing terrain and housing are minimized. But there is another undoubted advantage - early booking, which I will talk about today.

Early booking has become especially popular in the last few years. This service will not be of interest to those whose lives are unpredictable and mobile, but it will be beneficial for those who have exact vacation dates.

So. What is early booking? What are the pros and cons of this promotion, and what pitfalls you may encounter.

Early booking is booking a tour long before the start of your intended vacation date (at least 21 days in advance). But the end date of early booking must be checked with tour operators. Just a couple of years ago, the opening of this promotion in Russia took place no earlier than March. On at the moment Many hotels can already be booked in January. And, as a rule, early booking ends in April.

Advantages of early bookingI

The main advantage is, of course, saving money. So, if you book early, you can get a discount from 10 to 40% of the tour cost.

Many hotels already in January give huge discounts to operators (up to 70%), who in turn also offer tours at a big discount.

Closer to the season, hotel prices creep up, fuel surcharges increase, and, as a result, the cost of air tickets increases. But, having purchased a tour back in February, you don’t have to worry about price increases at all.

The second advantage is that you buy a tour to the exact hotel you have chosen. As a rule, the most best offers Hotels are sorted out in February-March. Therefore, if you buy a ticket immediately before your trip, you risk not getting to the hotel with good reviews. There are a number of so-called deficit hotels.

Undoubtedly, someone will object and say that we are going on vacation not to a hotel, but to the sea, but you must agree that no one will want to walk 1.5 km to the sea in the sun, or swim among the cobblestones. Families with children choose hotels especially carefully, because food (if you are going all-inclusive), access to the sea, cleanliness, animation, and the presence of a mini-club are very important here. Therefore, in this case, early booking is a great way to get into a hotel that is in short supply.

Which destinations are most attractive for early booking?

Experts recommend booking tours in advance for the hot season - July, August and even September. The most popular destinations where early booking will be especially beneficial are Turkey, Spain, Greece, Cyprus and Tunisia. This is due, first of all, to the large influx of tourists to these countries, when the best hotels are sold out even before the season begins.

Disadvantages of early booking

Undoubtedly, early booking also has its disadvantages. And this, first of all, is the risk associated with the impossibility of departure. A lot can happen in six months—a job change, job loss, other family circumstances. In this case, you lose almost all your money. The fine can range from 50 to 90% of the cost of the trip. And depending on the contract, the seller may have the right not to return anything to you at all.

Do not rely on insurance against travel cancellation, because it only applies to hospitalization, death of a close relative, summons to court, conscription into the army and refusal of a visa. Moreover, if you are traveling with your whole family, and a relative on your side dies, then your other half and child have nothing to do with the insured event. Therefore, it probably makes sense to take out travel recognizance insurance only if you have doubts about obtaining visas.

Another disadvantage of early booking is that you will no longer be able to change your last name, departure date, or timing. That is, theoretically this can be done, but most likely the operator will recalculate the cost of the tour. Very often, for any changes, the hotel issues a fine, which you will also have to pay.

Thus, by choosing early booking, you get: a significant discount; confidence that your vacation will not be overshadowed by insufficiently comfortable accommodation; peace of mind from the thought that everything has already been done and there is still time to think through routes, excursions, find information about renting a car and the best establishments in the area in which you will be vacationing. What about the risks? They are not so great as to give up such significant advantages.

Known for their pragmatism, Europeans have long appreciated all the benefits of organizing their upcoming vacation in advance. Is early booking of tours profitable in domestic realities?

IN modern world time to organize the upcoming summer holiday can start anytime. Some people are already on New Year's holidays, armed with a map, looking through the names of hotels and reading reviews about them. This approach allows you to carefully plan your trip and reduce the risk of an unsuccessful choice of vacation destination to a minimum. If your life is measured and stable, if you know exactly the date of your upcoming vacation in six months, then you can also use the early booking service, which really has some advantages. In fact, early booking is the exact opposite of the so-called, when a ticket is purchased a few days before departure. Here, on the contrary, the tour is sold long before it starts. Moreover, from year to year the start of the action is shifted to earlier and earlier dates. Now many hotels open early bookings in January, and some even earlier. It usually ends in April.

First of all, this is, of course, saving on the cost of the trip. When purchasing in advance, the tour operator usually provides a discount of ten to forty percent from full price tour. As the tourist season approaches, the cost of trips to popular hotels inexorably creeps up, and the cost of plane tickets also increases. And you have already fixed your price, and now you, as the happy owner of a ticket purchased back in February, can only count the savings and catch the envious glances of your not so far-sighted colleagues...

The next advantage of early booking is the ability to choose a hotel that suits you or your family in all respects. Indeed, in February, for example, almost any hotel offered by operators is still available for reservation. When purchasing travel packages closer to the departure date, in most cases you have to “take what you can get,” and it would be very naive to expect to get a suitable room in a hotel with positive reviews.

After all, walking one and a half kilometers in the heat to a dirty city beach, and, leaving the hotel, immediately finding yourself on clean sand are two big differences, as they say in Odessa. Families who are going on holiday choose hotels especially pickily. It is important for them that all meals are included, that entry into the sea is convenient, that the hotel is clean, that cultural and entertainment events are held...

If you want to go during the "high season", i.e. in July, August or the first half, or you are interested in one of the special popular destinations, such as Turkey, Greece, Spain or Cyprus, then you, like no one else, can experience the advantages of early booking.

What's the catch?

He's gone. In fact, everything is explained quite simply. In the “low season”, when hotels are half empty, it is most convenient for their owners to modernize infrastructure, repair work, expand, etc. And for all this we need working capital, which hotels receive by reducing prices. Thus, they also benefit from opening early bookings.

But to be honest?

Well, okay, there is one minus, and quite a significant one. It consists in the risk of losing invested funds if it is impossible to complete the planned trip. In this case, you may receive only part of the cost of the trip back (usually from 50% to 90%), or sometimes nothing at all. Therefore, if you are often plagued by force majeure, then you are unlikely to experience the benefits of early booking. If you really want it, then it’s better to issue the so-called ““. In any case, you need to very thoroughly ask the travel agent about the possibility of changing the departure date, names on the vouchers and the duration of the vacation.

Current last minute tours

Overall, this is a convenient method of buying a trip, which has more advantages than disadvantages. You get a discount, choose best hotel, think through all the details of your vacation in advance... Whether early booking of tours is beneficial for you personally depends only on the circumstances. Risky, you say? Of course, there is a certain amount of adventurism in this, but those who don’t take risks don’t drink cocktails on the sea sand...

Recently, booking tours in advance has been gaining incredible popularity. Every tourist wants to have a good vacation and save money at the same time. Tour operators have lucrative offers that involve booking a tour in the summer for your New Year's holiday, or vice versa, you can choose a tour in the winter and go on vacation in the summer. In the article we will tell you what booking tours in advance is, and also talk about the advantages and disadvantages.

Who is eligible for early booking?

Early bookings can be made at least 21 days before departure. It is possible to pay for the trip in installments. But, as a rule, such tours are provided only to unpopular destinations. Tourism is a business where there are times when some destinations are not in demand. And in order to somehow revive the tourism market, tour operators resort to certain tricks.

Without a doubt, people travel all year round. Someone is going to conquer mountain peaks, someone is interested winter views sports, others go shopping in European countries. But despite this, there is no tourist rush.

In the low season, many hotels in resorts operate almost at a minus, since there are very few vacationers. This is where the best deals come from. The hotel offers the travel agency large discounts, but only if payment is made immediately. After which, tour operators offer early bookings to everyone. Thus, the tourist pays the stated amount to the travel agency, and the agency to the hotel. The rest of the tour is paid for later.

This option is suitable for tourists who do not want to relax at a resort during the low season, and also if they need to save a lot. At the same time, you will receive a full tour, which will include the following services:

Air travel.

Transfer.

Medical insurance.

Big discounts, of course, attract the attention of budget tourists. But let's first understand all the advantages and disadvantages. We will also consider whether it is advisable to run in February to buy a ticket for July.

Benefits of early booking

You can choose a convenient flight. If you have chosen to book earlier for the height of the tourist season, you should remember that there may be several flights per day to the chosen destination. This will allow you to choose a convenient flight time for yourself. But also do not forget that during the peak season there are many charter flights that may be delayed. You can reach the place conveniently and on schedule by regular flights, but their cost is much more expensive. Therefore, if departure time is extremely important to you, you need to choose the second option.

Huge selection of hotels. In high tourist season it's hard to find free places in good hotels. The problem can be solved by early booking. By starting to book a tour several months in advance, you can choose the best one hotel complex or a villa, for a holiday with children or company. This option is also suitable for those travelers who are used to vacationing in the same hotel every year. By booking your room in advance, you can have peace of mind about your accommodation at the resort.

Convenient payment and affordable price. Early booking allows you to purchase a trip much cheaper than during the high season. Of course, last-minute tours may also be available, but you should remember that these are just remnants of unsold offers. Therefore, there may or may not be a last-minute ticket. In general, the price for early bookings is fixed and changes only depending on the dollar exchange rate. Paying for a trip is also convenient because you can divide the payment into two stages. First, you make an advance payment of 50 percent, and two weeks before departure you pay the remaining amount. It turns out to be a kind of installment plan.

It is possible to plan your vacation in advance. Many tourists like to purchase a vacation package in winter to go on vacation at the end of summer. During this time, you can think through everything to the smallest detail and have an enjoyable vacation. This will also allow you to plan a trip with friends who live in another city. In addition, for purchasing air tickets it is best option. After all, just before departure free seats it may not turn out to be. And before departure, tickets almost always cost several times more.

Disadvantages of early booking

Large fines for canceling the tour. If you decide to cancel your trip, the tour operator will charge you a large fine. You will also face a large fine if you make any changes to the tour, such as adding another person. Therefore, to avoid problems in the future, immediately read all the terms of the contract. Be sure to read the fine print.

If you cancel your trip due to force majeure, you may lose 50 or 90 percent of your funds spent on the trip. There are also cases when tourists’ money is not returned at all.

Buying a last minute tour. Some people confuse last minute deals with early bookings. Both options have an affordable price, but the conditions for relaxation are completely different. The tour operator buys part in advance seats on the plane and the same thing happens with hotels. If there are several tours left, and the departure date is very close, travel agencies reduce the price to cost, and the tours become last minute. The same cannot be said about early bookings. Low prices for travel packages are available only a few months before departure, and you have the opportunity to choose a suitable hotel. Last minute tours do not include a choice of hotel; you will be content with what the tour operator has chosen for you.

The cost of the tour depends on the exchange rate. It is not always profitable to pay according to this principle. The exchange rate rarely changes sharply, but no one is immune from this.

Early booking is attractive to many tourists, but you still need to remain vigilant. We have selected several useful tips for tourists to listen to.

Tourism is one of the areas of business. Therefore, no one will work at a loss. If you are promised huge discounts on early booking tours, then this is just a ploy, a marketing ploy. In fact, you won't get any global discounts, but there will still be a small benefit.

To avoid disappointment in the future, make early bookings only with trusted tour operators.

If you decide to book earlier, first, before purchasing a tour, check the travel agency on the Rostourism website. There are many cases where scammers have deceived gullible tourists. Choose only proven and reliable tour operators. But here, too, there are no guarantees, since not a single company is insured against bankruptcy.

Do not throw away receipts and contracts after your vacation. If you are not satisfied with the hotel and the service did not meet the requirements of the contract, you can sue the travel agency.

A travel company offering tours at an unrealistically cheap price should alert tourists. Flights can be more expensive than all other services, as the price of fuel and taxes are constantly rising. Sometimes 70% of the cost of a trip is just for a two-way flight. If a travel agency offers you a trip to the Dominican Republic for only $600, such an offer should alert you. Remember that free cheese only comes in a mousetrap. An ocean holiday can't be that cheap. Over the past two years, quite a few have disappeared from the tourism market. large companies who knew they would go bankrupt. But at the same time, they continued to offer incredibly cheap trips to resorts. As a result, tour operators collected a large amount of money from tourists; naturally, there was no payment for hotels, air tickets and other services, and tourists lost their money irrevocably.

Debunking myths about early booking

Many tourists, before buying a ticket, read information on the Internet, where there are many horror stories about early booking. In fact, the risks are not as high as they might initially seem. The main thing is to cooperate with large and trusted companies. Now we will try to dispel the most popular myths.

There are frequent cases when, after purchasing a tour, a tour operator declares itself bankrupt. This can happen if you purchased a tour from scammers or the agency is so small, does not have enough clients, and real bankruptcy has occurred. To protect yourself from such risks, choose popular and time-tested travel operators who, even in the event of bankruptcy, have a reserve financial fund.

If something has changed in your life and your planned trip needs to be cancelled, then not everything is as scary as it seems. Major travel agencies will easily cancel your tour if you contact us at least two weeks before departure. You can also change the date and, if necessary, add or remove the number of people from the tour.

Some tourists believe that there is no need to buy tour packages in winter, and that by waiting for summer, you can buy a tour even cheaper. The tourism market is currently under scrutiny and a lot has changed recently. Now in summer time vouchers are more expensive. And if you want to save a little on your travel, take advantage of the early booking service.

Many are afraid that when purchasing a tour, the flight will be cancelled. In fact, there is nothing critical about this. If the flight is delayed or cancelled, the tour operator will compensate for these inconveniences with an additional sightseeing excursion or provide a more comfortable hotel room.

It is a misconception to wait until the end of the promotion and buy a tour at the cheapest possible price. This does not happen and will not happen. The sooner you purchase your trip, the more you will save. For example, by purchasing a ticket at the beginning of the year, you can save up to 50 percent, and after a few months, the discount will be only 10 percent.

Where to book an early tour

These are some of the main questions for tourists. After all, there are a lot of one-day companies in the tourism market that want to make money from gullible people. Choose travel agencies that cooperate with the largest Russian tourism operators. These include:

Level.Travel

Travelata

Onlinetours

These three leading tour operators provide reliable and stable holidays anywhere in the world.

When to book an early tour

The early booking date depends entirely on the time of year. For example, if you want to book a tour to Asian countries on New Year, then you can book a trip already in August. European countries most in demand for New Year holidays, so tour bookings open from May.

If you want to go on vacation to ski resorts in February, you can book your trip in July.

You can travel to foreign resorts in summer inexpensively with early booking. To do this you will need to purchase a ticket in December. Remember, the closer we get to summer, the more expensive tours become. You can buy inexpensive autumn tours in May.

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