The topic was discussed at the site of the Kazakhstan International Tourism and Travel Exhibition (KITF), where representatives of the travel industry and airlines tried to predict the development of the situation on the eve of the summer season.
Tour prices may rise in summer
The general director of one of the largest tour operators, Anna Zagoruiko, noted that the market has already begun to feel the first signs of the fuel crisis. According to her, despite stable demand and the strengthening of the tenge, which supports sales, rising fuel costs remain a key risk factor.
“We are already living in this crisis. At the moment we are lucky because the tenge has strengthened. Sales demand has increased. The market is growing due to the fact that the tenge is stable. Due to this, sales are good, we are not complaining. We found an alternative, we fly to Southeast Asia and so on. But now the big question is that fuel is constantly growing. And since March, we have had two increases in air tickets for all airlines,” she notes.
According to the expert, the current period can be called transitional: the number of flights remains small. Many airlines operating regular flights have given tour operators the opportunity to issue tickets upon full payment.
At the same time, the industry is preparing for the next phase, which may be more challenging.
— The next wave is what we are already preparing for. Now the problem is not so much to sell, but to understand at what price you will buy later. Conventionally, if today a ticket to Egypt costs 500, then as the cost of fuel rises, the price will increase. We all have contracts with airlines that say that if fuel increases by 10%, the cost of the ticket will increase accordingly. This means that in the summer we will purchase them at a different price, and this poses a serious risk. At the moment, many of our airlines have met us halfway, and we have issued tickets. This is just the beginning of the season, and many people have begun to warn us. We understand that if the situation continues, fuel will continue to rise, and many say that it may be in short supply. And we are preparing for this,” she said.
At the same time, the expert could not give a clear answer to the moderator’s question about a possible increase in prices for air tickets in the summer.
It all depends on the geopolitical situation
The geopolitical situation introduces additional uncertainty. According to expert, director of another tour operator in Kazakhstan Altai Omarov, the dynamics of oil prices and, as a consequence, jet fuel will depend on its development in the coming months.
If the situation stabilizes, the situation may even out, but if tension continues, the market is preparing for more serious price fluctuations.
“If the geopolitical situation is not resolved, then the fuel surge could be quite serious, and the price increase could also be serious. If it is resolved, then perhaps everything will calm down. We don’t know exactly how oil prices will react, we don’t know where and what the fuel crisis is, what will happen to fuel in Kazakhstan. This is the most difficult thing,” he noted.
The role of fuel surcharge
In these conditions, according to Inna Rey, Chairman of the Touristik Kamkor Foundation, the fuel surcharge mechanism plays an increasingly important role, which allows you to flexibly respond to changes in fuel costs without affecting the base price of tourist packages.
“In fact, this is an ideal mechanism that allows you to remain calm, at least within the limits of normal fluctuations associated with expected processes. It can either increase or decrease in price, while the base cost remains unchanged,” noted I. Ray.
What about ticket prices?
Regional Manager of Dubai Airlines Marina Kuznechevskaya emphasized that there are no accurate forecasts on ticket prices yet, since they directly depend on the supply of jet fuel.
— I would like to note that Kazakhstan takes a fairly stable position: measures are being taken at the state level to curb fuel shortages so that carriers can operate flights to various destinations. Our head office also provides for the use of its own resources. However, if the crisis continues, prices will definitely rise,” she said.
Experts agree that the situation in the air transportation market remains uncertain and largely depends on external factors. Already today, tourism market participants are recording an increase in the cost of air tickets and are preparing for possible further fluctuations.
Under these conditions, trips abroad for Kazakh tourists may become more expensive, and the key factor for the market is the ability to quickly adapt to changes and plan pricing policies in advance.
Previously at the Department of Energy told about the current situation with jet fuel reserves in Kazakhstan, as well as how this may affect regular air flights.
It was also reported that airlines across Asia are reducing the number of flights. transport additional fuel from home airports and increasing the number of refueling stops due to soaring fuel prices amid conflict in the Middle East.
