Cheaper rates, all inclusive services, simplifying the visa issuing process and increased security measures are requested by Russian tourist operators in order to bring to Greece their  3.5 million customers who will not choose Turkey for their vacation after the ban on charter flights  announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Russian tour operators point out that this is the only way for Greece to be able to attract more Russian tourists.

Major Russian travel agencies have a series of meetings with the airlines to see how many flights they can book and to which destinations, with Crete being on the top of their list, since it is considered as a warm and the best organized tourist destination in Greece allowing them to book as many holiday packages they can.

According to official data  published by Russia’s Federal Agency for Tourism, about 3.5 million Russian tourists who used to choose Turkey for their holiday are currently searching for alternative choices with European tourism markets fighting over who will get the lion’s share.

Especially in Crete, an ongoing systematic effort is currently under way to attract a share of Russian tourists who will not travel to Turkey and need to choose another destination for their holidays.

On the occasion of the recent visit of 320 prominent Russian tour operators in Greece, agents of Greek tourism, including major hotels, such as Aldemar, Aquila and Grecotel, met with representatives of Russian travel agencies, to coordinate their actions in order to achieve the best possible results.

However, in order to attract more Russian tourists, there is a lot of work to be done first by the Greek side.

The lack of all-inclusive hotels, the difficulties in issuing a visa, the increased cost of accommodation and services provided and the lack of strict safety measures are seen as an inhibitory drawback for choosing Greece, while other countries such as Spain, Thailand, and Cyprus show more ready to welcome the tsunami of Russian tourists.

“We are facing a great challenge, but there is a lot to be done and quickly in order to respond successfully,” told president and CEO of Tez Tour Hellas Dimitris Charitidis to Proto Thema news media.

The vice president of the Aldemar group, Alexandros Angelopoulos, spoke to Proto Thema stressing the lack of hotel infrastructure in Greece.

Based on a survey conducted by Greece’s embassy in Moscow in cooperation with Greek National Tourism Organization (EOT), the average Russian tourist chooses to stay in 4-star, 5-star or deluxe hotels, loves shopping, especially fur clothing, spending even 5,000 euros for a piece, and searches for value for money restaurants.