Q & A with Alevtina Filosofova, Sales Director for Capital Tours
Q & A with Alevtina Filosofova, Sales Director for Capital Tours
Russia’s third-largest tourism wholesaler was among the pioneers in opening Caribbean destinations to the Russian market. Some of the one hundred countries it presently works with are located on this side of the world, such as Dominican Republic, Cuba, Mexico, Costa Rica, Chile, Brazil, Peru, Argentina and Panama. That expansion, as Mrs. Filosofova tells us, doesn’t affect the status of Spain, which remains “a sought-after destination among Russian sunbathers”.
How many long-haul countries work with Capital Tours?
We are currently working with one hundred countries, forty of those represent big charter operations, and we operate those flights with our own aircrafts.
For how long has the company been working with Latin American and Caribbean destinations?
Since 2003, when Capital Tours was one of the three tour operators carrying out the program for the Dominican Republic. During the 2003-2004 winter season, we had some one hundred weekly seats to that country.
Is the Dominican Republic the most interesting destination for the Russian market?
We fly to Punta Cana, which is our top destination. We offer several hotels in Santo Domingo, but Punta Cana is the most popular.
What Russian cities are the major outbound markets for the Dominican Republic?
Around the 50 percent comes from Moscow and the rest belongs to different cities and regions, but San Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, Samara are outstanding … The nonstop flight takes off from Moscow, sometimes from San Petersburg, but not on a regular basis. We have packages in charter flights to the Dominican Republic. Last year, we flew with Transaero and this year we’re flying with Aeroflot. We also have packages to Cuba with Aeroflot, and we send groups to Varadero and Havana. Furthermore, we offer our customers trips to Mexico, Costa Rica, Chile, Peru, Argentina and, starting this year, to Panama.
In the Caribbean, what are the favorite destinations for Russian tourists?
Tourists prefer beach destinations, which they sometimes combine with two or three days in the cities, Havana and Varadero are an example. Many tourists go for circuits in different cities.
Among Cuba, Dominican Republic and Mexico, what is the booking trend of the moment?
Dominican Republic is leading the game. This winter, we’ll have some two thousand weekly seats in charter flights operated by several companies. Back in 2003 there were three tour operators working that destination, but there are ten or fifteen nowadays. Dominican Republic counts on a good quality-price relation. As for Cuba, it’s many tourists’ favorite due to its historic and cultural interest, which can be pretty well combined with the beach product.
What about Panama?
We have already sent two tours to Panama. We had a meeting with that country’s tourism authorities and we carried out a fam trip with our best travel agents back in May-June, who visited Panama City, as well as beaches and isles. They were impressed. We recently sent a press tour. In October, we’re planning to send our top 50 travel agents to introduce the destination and celebrate, along with directives from Capital Tours, the tenth reunion of Capital Tours’ travel agencies directors.
What do you make of South America as travel destinations?
Brazil is the most popular destination among our customers, as they love Carnival parties. There are also soccer references. Most of tours visit Rio de Janeiro and the Carnival.
Ecuador?
It’s an interesting destination, but it’s now emerging. It only attracts customers who have visited several countries and want to know something special. It’s got a lot of potential.
What about Central America?
We have tours to Costa Rica. It’s very popular, including excursions and beaches. Many tourists combine it with other destinations, for instance, Cuba and Costa Rica. Costa Rica is presently our fourth destination, following Dominican Republic, Cuba and Mexico.
Do you think Nicaragua can be an interesting destination for Russian tourism?
Every country can be interesting. Nicaragua isn’t still positioned as a popular destination. The Dominican Republic will receive two thousand seats per week in flights coming from Russia, but it has taken seven years of hard work to reach this level. Destinations as Nicaragua can be interesting for tourists who have visited several countries and want to know something special, different.
Have you reached out to countries from the English-speaking Caribbean?
We have tours to Barbados and Bahamas. Bahamas is quite popular, though prices are higher than other Spanish-speaking countries in the Caribbean.
Do you believe the opening and growth of Latin American and Caribbean destinations might affect Spain as destination of choice for Russian tourists?
I don’t think so. Spain is a very popular destination among Russian tourists. It’s a closer destination, with nice weather, beaches, culture and plenty of things to see and experiment. There are some periods in the year when it’s the second or third most visited destination by Russian tourists, following Turkey and Greece.
