Belarusian tourism industry experts to discuss competition with online services

The Republican Union of the Tourism Industry (RSTI) initiated a meeting with industry specialists, the main topic of which will be the discussion of competition problems with online services, the press service of RSTI told sb.by.

- Tourists are increasingly booking on their own, aggregators are increasing sales, and the usual model of the tour operator business faces new competitors, RSTI explained. Who will ultimately manage the tourist flow – a tour operator, an online platform or artificial intelligence? The figures of the Russian market already show the difference: in autumn, sales of organized tours from individual operators decreased by 10-30 percent, while online services recorded an increase in bookings. One of the reasons is that tourists go to apartments and the private sector, where the positions of platforms are traditionally stronger. Behind these numbers are not just fluctuations in demand, but changes in consumer habits and sales channels.

RSTI also noted that it is not only about the price and convenience of booking: global digital ecosystems strive to keep the customer on the entire journey - from the air ticket and hotel to transfers, excursions, insurance and bonuses for repeat purchases. And the development of AI can even change the way you choose a trip.

- At the next meeting with specialists of the tourism industry in Minsk on November 3, it is planned to discuss how this transformation affects the Belarusian tourism business. In particular, the conversation will focus on whether a classic tour operator can compete with platforms today or need to look for a different role, as well as the possibilities of using global sites for inbound tourism without giving them all control over the client.