Armenian law enforcers' threats induce Tez Tour to leave local market

Armenian law enforcers' threats induce Tez Tour to leave local market

PanARMENIAN.Net - Tez Tour tourist agency PR manager commented on the reasons behind decision to discontinue the agency's activities in Armenia.

As Marina Makarova noted in a conversation with a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter, the decision was prompted by a conflict with Magic Time local tourist agency. “The agency owed us a major sum, yet was attempting to pressure us into servicing their clients virtually for free. Eventually, Tez Tour refused; however, instead of trying to start a constructive dialogue, Magic Time representative used its relative at Armenian law enforcement agency to force us forego the debt,” Ms. Makarova said.

“At Yerevan Police, were were threatened with serious law-related issues, in case we refuse to offer free services to Magic Time clients. We, however, refused to yield to blackmail, ” she stressed.

As PanARMENIAN.Net reported earlier, TezTour Russian tour operator has closed its branch in Armenia, finally leaving the local tourism market.

A former employee of the Armenian branch of Tez Tour told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter that information on the real reasons behind the branch’s closure was a surprise even for its employees. According to the source, the Russian tour operator dismissed all employees in Armenia, though prior to that it had planned tourism development in Armenia. “They were going to construct a hotel in Armenia, as well as develop incoming tourism,” he said.

Earlier tourprom.ru website reported that the decision on the Armenian branch’s closure followed the pressure exerted by local law enforcement, which “shield” the Armenian tourism business, at the same time actually squeezing money from Russian companies.

The activity of the Armenian branch of Tez Tour Russian company had been almost paralyzed since December 2010 due to local force structures executing the order of Magic Time tour agency.

Magic Time, which served as a mediator between the Armenian tour agencies and Tez Tour representation, owed over USD 400,000 to the latter in 2010.

 Top stories
The number of state universities will be reduced from 23 to 8 by 2030, Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport Zhanna Andreasyan has said.
From September 21 to November 11, a total of 2,820 Russians registered at a place of residence in Armenia, the police has said.
The situation on the contact line between Karabakh and Azerbaijan was relatively stable overnight, the Defense Army says.
Defense Minister Suren Papikyan has visited the southern Armenian province of Syunik, the Defense Ministry reported on March 18.
Partner news
---