TOP 10: rating of the reliability of the best tour operators in Russia - 2020-2021. Who do we trust?

Of course, if you decide to save yourself the hassle of organizing an independent travel and opted for the option of buying a tour, then this matter must be approached with full responsibility. Cases are still fresh in my memory bankruptcy of large Russian tour operators, but in the news no, no, yes, there is information about the inability of any insurance company to pay compensation to indignant tourists.

Updated: January 1, 2021 Friends! We are tourists just like you. And 2 years ago, they also took care of the reliability of tour operators. Initially, it was a mini-article, but now it is a full-fledged research with personal experience and is constantly updated. We trust the first seven tour operators, who are always heard: why and to whom exactly - we will tell further.

There are several online tour booking sites we have verified:

• Travelata
• Onlinetours
• Level.Travel

We usually find the cheapest prices on them. Below we will describe the tour operators.

In an attempt to protect themselves and the upcoming vacation, people often turn to the Internet, looking for the mythical official rating of tour operators. Why mythical? We will tell you right away, no matter how many relevant pages you have studied, but you will not find such a summary as the official rating of tour operators in Russia.

The only "state" resource, backed by the support of the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation, is the website of Rostourism and unified federal register of tour operators in Russia... This is where you find the data:

✓ about the spheres of activity of the organization

✓ about the amount of financial security

✓ about the insurance company, etc.

But, again, you will not receive a specific answer to your request for a rating of reliable tour operators. Both Natalie Tours (a bankrupt company) and Pearl River were on the register until the cancellation of the tours.

Climbed to see the city from the top of Montmartre

Many wandering on the net Tops of reliability are relatively subjective, since although based on similar parameters, they were created at the suggestion of a travel agency or online travel package store. You will have to strain yourself, studying the numerous factors that form the degree of trust in the tour operator. And often some of them are completely incomprehensible: what, for example, does the abbreviation A + say about the state of the insurance company? By the way, this is a very important point.

We will help you figure out what first of all pay attention, in order to make sure that your vacation is safe, we will outline the criteria inherent in all leading tour operators, and give an example of the reliability rating of tour operators for 2020. And 2021 is still on the way.

Tour operator reliability rating 2020-2021: top 10

A small remark: you will not see companies unfamiliar to you, because. leading tour operator = reliable tour operator... Companies located on everyone's lips, a priori inspire confidence, if only because they are in demand among many tourists, including your friends and acquaintances.

In addition, the scale of activities of travel companies in Russia makes it possible to assert their universality for all regions. Therefore, the best tour operators in Moscow, tour operators in St. Petersburg and even the most reputable tour operators in Perm are reduced to one top list.

We remind you that for more information, including detailed rating and websites of tour operators, you will find on travelata.ru. If you want to make an early booking, then you can read the article on the link above, where we have described the advantages and disadvantages of booking tours for 2021. Below we list the most popular destinations for overseas vacations.

* we ourselves rested with 5 out of 10 tour operators mentioned in the table, in different directions.

1. AnexTour - opens the list of a famous tour operator in Spain in Moscow, St. Petersburg and other capitals of the regions of the Russian Federation, functioning from the late 90s. Although, perhaps, you are familiar with it thanks to another, no less popular, direction - the Dominican Republic. Anex Tour diligently searches for the most delicious options for inexpensive vouchers, which are immediately taken apart by thrifty tourists. And rightly so!

Personal experience:
Spain (Lloret de Mar) for a week for 32,000 rubles for two
Emirates (Sharjah) for 5 days for 33 thousand

2. TUI - the credibility of this organization firmly ensures the trust of customers from year to year. TUI is a major tour operator from the Old World. He came to Russia more than 10 years back and brought both the previously inaccessible Russians rest in exclusive Western European hotels, and an offer of good quality at reasonable prices. He owns hotels in more than 20 countries, and the concept is especially popular in Turkey - you have probably come across hotels called Tui Fun & Sun or Tui Magic Life.

Personal experience:
UAE (Dubai, hotel 4 * DoubleTree by Hilton) for 6 nights for 55,000 rubles

3. PEGAS Touristik - previously the leader in terms of the volume of tours to Turkey and Egypt, in connection with the latest events Pegasus has successfully switched to other countries of mass recreation - Thailand, Vietnam, etc. For 25 years Since its inception, the company has acquired more than 700 offices throughout Russia and has received good reviews from numerous travelers. You can go at your leisure to the nearest representative office if you are looking for tours to Turkey from tour operators from Moscow or any other city. At the end of 2018, the tour operator launched tours to Egypt from 11 cities in Russia: however, with an arrival in the Israeli city of Ovda and a further transfer to the resorts.

4. Tez Tour - the fourth place goes to the international tourism holding with the most recognizable logo. Who has not seen TV ads luring with colorful pictures of sunny resorts? High technology tourism and a variety of vacation options in all popular destinations helped build a good reputation and stable operation of the company throughout for 25 years... Looking for a tour to Greece from a tour operator with a departure from Moscow? You can safely trust Tez Tour. In 2018, the tour operator re-opened Egypt for Russians (with a flight from Moscow and arrival in Cairo).

5. Coral Travel - has been operating in the field of Russian tourism for 25 years... Coral annually rises to the podium among tour operators, and in 2020, having scored the highest score in 7 out of 10 possible categories, deservedly received the fifth place. The success is formed both from the years of accumulated positive reputation, and from the wide representation of the company not only in Russia, but also in Belarus, Poland, etc. In 2018, Coral distinguished himself by being the first to launch new package destinations - Bahrain and Gambia.

6. Biblio Globus - many tour operators promote tours to Thailand from Moscow, but not everyone is doing as well as Biblio Globus. You can entrust this company with organizing your pastime on the shore of the warm sea without a shadow of a doubt: 20+ years productive work showed a high level of services and the trust of one and a half million people a year.

Personal experience:
Thailand (Phuket) for 10 days for 62,000 rubles for two
Turkey (Side) for 10 days for 42,000 rubles for two

9. Sunmar is the next representative who will take care of your vacation not only in words - Sunmar Tour. Few people know that this company is, in fact, a brother of Coral Travel.The only difference is in the "budget" concept of the first, sending tourists abroad at lower prices. So to find, for example, cheap tours to the UAE, Sunmar will always help.

Personal experience: Greece (Rhodes) for 10 days for 25,000 rubles for two

Our trip to Israel (Dead Sea)

Tour operators by country: the right choice of tour

The rating of tour operators by country also takes place. It is interesting to note that, depending on the direction, the positions of large companies change. However, this does NOT indicate the unreliability of any well-known tour operator in a particular country.

The ratings are based on the age of the companies operating in specific tourism markets and their share of the total number of tours. For example, the tour operator TUI - takes leading positions in the top in Spain, but, at the same time, lags behind in the top in Vietnam, because only this winter began to "conquer" this direction.

Our list is as follows, and continues to be supplemented by new countries:

• Thailand
• Vietnam
• Dominican Republic
• Goa
• Maldives
• Spain
• Russia Moscow)

What makes a tour operator reliable?

1. Number of directions

Everything is logical here: the more countries where the company sends travelers, the less the risk that in the event of a crisis in any direction, the stable operation of the entire system will be disrupted.

2. Own host companies

This vague wording refers to personal travel companies or operator agencies directly abroad, i.e. in the countries with which he cooperates. These organizations are involved in booking and paying for your hotel, as well as provide transfers and excursions... In other words, you do not go "nowhere" with a parting word that you will be met there and at such and such, but you find yourself in the hospitable hands of the tour operator's colleagues.

3. Airline agreement

Another criterion that influences the rating of reliable tour operators is the quantity and quality of interaction with air carriers. Basically, the cost of the tour is tied to it. If the operator has large blocks of seats reserved in different airlines, or more, he has own charter flight, then the number of flight options increases, and the chance to find an inexpensive tour with a cheap air ticket increases.

Bus TEZ TOUR Greece

4. Sustainability of the insurance company

If, upon arrival, you were denied check-in, the return plane was canceled, and the vacation was covered with a copper basin, not having time to start, the insurance company will be responsible for the compensation. From her financial security the degree of guarantee of insurance payments depends, incl. in case of bankruptcy of the tour operator.

According to the expert rating, the gradation from the best policyholder to the worst is indicated within A ++ ... A- - high level of reliability, B ++ ... B- - low, C ++ ... C- - very low, etc.

Of course, the listed indicators are far from the only components of various lists of proven travel companies. However, even this information is quite difficult to obtain if you set yourself the task of finding out the truth.

To this end, we invite you to familiarize yourself with ratingborrowed from the online search service for all Travelata tour operators, supplemented by author's comments... In our opinion, it displays objective information, because it is based on a sufficient number of criteria that determine the reliability of tour operators.

Bankruptcy and closure of tour operators

A tourist's terrible dream - 1) to stay in Russia and without money, and without rest, 2) to get stuck abroad due to an unpaid hotel (completely dark) or a return flight. How to keep your vacation safe? Of course, you can conduct an in-depth analysis of the activities of a tour operator over the past few years, make sure of financial guarantees, compare with others, but ... Few people will do this. It is much easier - and, in principle, also reliable - to choose the organizer of your holidays from the top five tour operators in Russia. Which we talked about in this article: Coral, Anex Tour, Biblio Globus, Sunmar, Pegas Turistik.

What to do in case of bankruptcy of a tour operator? An important point: has this tour operator officially declared itself bankrupt? If yes, then everything is more or less bearable - tourists are helped by the Tourist Assistance organization (exported from abroad) + funds from the insurance fund are paid to those who have lost money and who have not flown away. But if the company does not declare itself bankrupt, declaring something like "yes, these are temporary difficulties, we will pay everything" and at the same time canceling tours and suspending flights - like Natalie Tours in 2018 - people will have to get out on their own.

Services that search for tours online for all tour operators

To make it easier for you to choose, we have compiled for you TOP 3 proven sites where you can select a tour yourself, bypassing intrusive managers:

• Level.Travel
• Travelata
• Onlinetours

Of course, you can carefully study all the sites of the tour operators from the rating. But instead, it is much more convenient to follow the link and see the tour operators of Moscow, St. Petersburg and others in one place, lined up with their best offers. The competition is enormous!

Yes, yes, we want to remind you of the excellent services that make our life much easier with the ability to search for tours online from all tour operators. A detailed article has already been written about the indisputable advantages of buying a tour online and how to correctly use the appropriate search engines. Highly recommend read → where and how to buy tours online.

The rating is also given there. verified sites, where you can choose a voucher that suits your requirements, and, in case of an unforeseen weekend, consider last-minute tours from all tour operators. Among the rich selection of aggregators collaborating with 120 travel companies, you will surely find something to your liking. How about an all inclusive tour to Turkey from Moscow from the tour operator Sunmar for two?

Well, if you are still undecided on the upcoming route, we will try to make this task easier and take a short excursion to the destinations dearly beloved by Russians, which are in demand from year to year.

The most popular destinations from tour operators

What are the favorite destinations of Russians for recreation? Consider the "sea" countries where tour operators bring tourists en masse - which is not bad at all, because cheap tours can often be found there.

• In the summer, almost everyone comes to Turkey (7 million Russians, can you imagine!). Cyprus is an alternative to visa-free travel (online visa). Or they issue Schengen and fly to Greece.
• In winter, they warm themselves in Thailand.
• And in the off-season - in spring and autumn - the Emirates prefer.

The minimum cost of a tour to the countries during the peak season:
(for two for 10 nights)

Thailand.
When, if not in winter, the desire to warm up not under ten blankets in an embrace with a heater is especially acute, but under the scorching sun of Asia? This is what a great many travelers realize when choosing a vacation in Thailand. The fabulous beaches, combined with the measured pace of life in Phuket, and the wild, fun atmosphere of Pattaya in their own way create the ideal conditions for a seaside vacation. And do not fall for the general belief that a tour to Thailand is relevant exclusively from late autumn to mid-spring. No, the country is good in any season. By the way, if you are thinking of going to Thailand this winter, then it is worth booking tours in advance! This way you can save up to 70% of the original cost.

Our trip to Thailand

Turkey.
A country like Turkey has always been and remains extremely attractive for holidaymakers. And really nothing can frighten a Russian tourist! With the approaching summer period, the interest of our citizens in the study of the Turkish coast has traditionally increased.Hotels in Alanya, Antalya, Kemer only rarely suffer from a shortage of visitors: in spite of everything, Turkey consistently demonstrates the power of all inclusive (all inclusive) in action, and in winter and for a ridiculous amount. Our friends traveled at the end of November for 48,000 rubles for three.

Our vacation in Kemer. Everything you need to know about the resort is described in this article >>

Cyprus.
The longtime favorite of the tourist market annually gathers a huge number of people on its picturesque beaches, surrounded by rocky spits. What makes them come again and again? As a rule, the desire to escape from the stuffy cities and breathe in the salty sea air is complemented by exciting memories of local Mediterranean cuisine, natural and historical sights.

United Arab Emirates.
This state does not even need an introduction. Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah warmly welcome crowds of tourists eager to get a Middle Eastern tan, ride ATVs in the desert, see firsthand the architectural achievements of oil sheikhs and just taste the peculiar chic of a rich Arab country. Having not experienced a decline in popularity before, with the simplification of entry into the UAE for Russians, local resorts clearly promise to be overcrowded. Recently, people come here more and more often to celebrate the New Year. And tour operators, in turn, promise to increase the number of tours to the UAE.

A little more in the treasury of the advantages of the Emirates: the country is one of the safest beach destinations. There is low crime and almost no risk of natural disasters. Read the full list of countries in our article >>

We went on a safari in Dubai

Greece.
Greece does not leave the list of the most popular countries for holidays. Adherents of historical tourism also flock here, because antiquities can be seen at every turn, and those who like to soak up the Mediterranean coast. True, they choose different places - some to Athens, some to Crete. But in any case, the Greek way of life leaves no one indifferent.

Beach next to our hotel in Rhodes

Our tips: how to save money while traveling?

✓ Take excursions profitably. Everyone knows that the tour operator is the most expensive and they look for them on the spot. And try online - on Tripster and Sputnik. We checked in Dubai, and you can't find a desert safari cheaper than on Sputnik (we tell you here >>).

✓ Think of a travel card (bank card). This will give you access to business lounges and cashback up to 5% from tours / tickets / hotels. Our card returns a percentage even from taxi and metro trips abroad.

✓ Did you use promotional codes for the tour? We are negotiating with Travelata about special bonuses for our readers - look here >>

✓ Need a cheap tour? See the feed of last minute deals

✓ For independent vacation: remember where to look for flights and don't forget about discounts on accommodation - 4000 rubles on Airbnb.

Results and conclusions

1. Usually we fly on inexpensive tours ourselves. Over the course of several years of travel, we realized that it is most likely to find such at Anex, Sanmar (aka Coral Travel), Biblio Globus and TUI. But Tez Tour is more expensive.

2. Of the problems that arose: there were minor flight delays (1-2 hours) and once, when flying from the UAE, the flight was postponed to the next day. But they gave the hotel 5 stars, although before that they lived in the "troika".

3. You can trust any tour operator from the top ten. The table shows the main countries where they take tourists.

4. It is convenient to search for tours independently and online. To explain it in a simple way, a database of tours opens up in front of you, just like those of travel agents. But you can't hide a cheaper tour from yourself and you can't impose a more expensive option on yourself. For us, the following remain verified:

• Travelata
• Level.Travel
• Onlinetours

5. Tour operators and travel agencies are different structures. The first ones "collect" the tour, ie. organize the trip, the second - sell it. Moreover, the cost in the agency should not be higher than the tour operator's, this is one of the basic rules of the agreement.

Well, and a couple of words in conclusion. Contact trusted travel service companies. Study the reliability rating of tour operators, look for tours in online search engines and peace of mind from your vacation, along with positive impressions, are guaranteed to you! And when you find out how much your neighbor bought the tour on the plane in an offline agency, you will be pleasantly surprised and advise him to take it online the next time.