The program starts in early August, with the option to buy tours till the end of the year. Crimea tours will be available at a discount starting October 1.
As the Ministry informed, according to the program, tourists will be able to receive refund both for package tours, which include flight and accommodation, and separately for accommodation in case they travel to their vacation place on their own, for example, by private car.
All tour operators registered in the Unified Federal Register of Tour Operators and qualified hotels can participate in the program.
"Tour operators should offer a tour package worth at least 25 thousand rubles ($355), including transport services − air, railway or bus transportation, and accommodation in a classified hotel for more than five nights. Such a route can be cross-regional, but the main thing is that the accommodation facilities in each region should be classified", — the Ministry of Resorts explained.
Hotels can offer a package of accommodation starting from five nights, and, on their part, the hotels and the tour operators can add to this basic offer any additional services they deem necessary. Cruise lines should also offer accommodation on their liner for five or more nights.
Tourists who want to participate in the program should open the Russia.travel website, select an offer from one of the partners and go to the relevant website. There the tourist should choose a tour on a page created specifically for this promotion campaign, order a trip and pay online with a card of the Russian MIR payment system.
The cost of unguided tours of Crimea this summer >>
Under this program, the tourist will get back 5 thousand rubles ($71) for a tour cost from 25 to 50 thousand ($355-714), 10 thousand ($142) − for a tour from 50 to 75 thousand ($714-1071), 15 thousand ($214) − for a tour over 75 thousand rubles ($1071). The trip must be at least five days long, and cross-regional routes are encouraged. The money will be credited to the vacationer’s MIR card within five days, the Ministry of Resorts specified.
To launch the program, Rostourism will conduct an appropriate marketing, advertising and information campaign with the participation of information partners. As reported, the Russian government refunds tourists, who are vacationing in the country regions this year, part of their travel expenses. For these purposes 15 billion rubles have been allocated. The refund amount will be from 5 thousand to 15 thousand rubles ($71-214), depending on the tour.