Tourists laid out cards – Newspaper Kommersant No. 174 (7375) of 09/21/2022
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News about the restriction of acceptance of Mir payment system cards by Turkish banks may provoke a second wave of demand for “card tours” abroad, forgotten by tourists since the spring. Now requests for them are submitted by 53% of travel companies, but the real flow is estimated at only hundreds per month. Most often, Russians go to Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Armenia, and Turkey for cards. However, this segment is not yet particularly attractive for the tourist industry due to the risks associated with possible restrictions on the issuance of cards to Russians by foreign banks.
The demand for tours with foreign bank cards may increase against the backdrop of news about the reduction in the ability to pay with the Mir card abroad, according to a study by B2B.Ostrovok.ru. Now, according to a survey of the service, 53% of Russian travel agents receive requests for “card tours”: 35% of market participants sell them, 18% do not. 36% of companies have no applications.
The decision of Turkish banks to limit work with the Mir system may lead to a second wave of demand for this product, Dmitry Gorin, vice president of the Russian Union of Travel Industry, suggests. “Card tours” get a new audience – it’s 4 million people who travel to Turkey, he explains. But the expert warns that the implementation of demand will depend on the policy of foreign banks to open accounts for Russians. Maya Lomidze, executive director of the Association of Tour Operators of Russia, does not rule out an increase in demand. Although she expects moderate dynamics: “You can go to Turkey with cash, in particular, with rubles.”
“Card tours” appeared on the Russian market in the spring after the cessation of Visa and MasterCard. These are trips that market participants offer to open card accounts in other countries. The service is popular both among travelers and those who need to make cross-border payments, since Mir and UnionPay cards do not cover these needs, Roman Prokhorov, head of the board of the Financial Innovations Association, explains. But Dmitry Vishnyakov, an independent expert in the payment card market, recalls the risks: “Accounts can be frozen or subject to other actions, for example, to avoid secondary sanctions.” He draws attention to the need to submit reports to the tax authorities.
In the spring, the demand for “card tours” was high, but now it has decreased, since, according to the interlocutor of “Kommersant” in the tourist market, the requirements of banks for Russian applicants are constantly becoming tougher. Intourist representative Daria Domostroyeva states that many active tourists have already opened accounts in foreign banks. But the demand for the product, according to the expert, will still remain, “as long as the option exists.” Maya Lomidze subjectively assesses the share of “card tours” in the organized segment of the tourist industry at 50%. There is no objective data now, she says. According to B2B.Ostrovok.ru, 88% of agents working with “card tours” receive up to five requests per month, 4% – up to ten, 8% – more than ten.
The most demanded destinations for “card tours” according to B2B.Ostrovok.ru survey participants are Uzbekistan (48% of respondents), Kazakhstan (45%), Armenia (28%), Turkey (21%), Kyrgyzstan (17%), Belarus (14 %), Georgia (10%) and Azerbaijan (7%). Daria Domostroyeva explains that her company offers the option of issuing a card as part of sightseeing tours to Uzbekistan and Armenia as an additional option. “Here, tourists need escort, they often travel to Belarus on their own, and they manage to resolve issues privately in Kyrgyzstan,” she explains.
According to B2B.Ostrovok.ru, the average cost of “card tours” reaches 70 thousand rubles, 83% of customers choose such options. But many market participants stay away from this segment. Representative of OnlineTur.ru Igor Blinov explains that “card tours” are not a mass product, so not all agents see the point in working with them. According to him, such tours have risks associated with paperwork, forced delays, and the policies of banks in foreign countries.
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