Lanta-tour voyage

Founded in 1991, "Lanta Tur Voyazh" is a multi-profile operator. The key directions — the Czech Republic, France, Italy, Southeast Asia. In the rating of the major Russian travel agencies at the end of 2009 (there are no fresher data) "Lanta Tur Voyazh" took the 17th place with the stated goods turnover of 3.3 billion rubles (about $103.9 million) and 120 thousand serviced clients from whom 106. thousands purchased full-fledged tourist's packets.

Management Lanta Tur Voyage

Puchkova Lyudmila Vasilyevna is a president.

Financial problems

At the end of January, 2012 "Lanta Tur Voyazh" declared the bankruptcy. The special letter on it was sent in offices of partners and the agencies tour operators.

On the official site the company stated that it temporarily stops sales of tours in connection with impossibility properly to provide financing of the ordered services.

"Acceptance of money is stopped in all sales offices of the company in the territory of the Russian Federation since January 28, 2012 to the further notification. Any fact of acceptance of money after this date is illegal and unauthorized company management. Due to specified, in order to avoid possible problems when receiving tourist services, the company recommends to refrain from commission of trips according to tours with departure term after January 27, 2012.

In case of the expenses connected with non-presentation of services, reimbursement of expenses will be performed in accordance with the established procedure. Responsibility of the company is insured in OSAO "Ingosstrakh", the amount of insurance coverage is 100 million rubles".

As it became clear later, the reason of suspension of activity of tour operator "Lanta-tour the voyage" became failure of Master-Bank to issue the credit for debt repayment before Aeroflot airline.

The report of NTV on a situation in Lanta-tour with L. Puchkova's comments

The report of RIA TV on a situation in Lanta-tour with L. Puchkova's comments

Check of ICR

• On January 28 the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation (ICRF) began procedural check on the numerous facts of violations of the rights of citizens which used services of travel agency "Lanta-tour Voyage", the official representative of ICR Vladimir Markin reported on Saturday to Interfax. "Within check the legal treatment will be given not only to actions or failure to act of heads and owners of the company, but also officials of state bodies to which duties control of a compliance with law in the tourist sphere and also the rights of citizens belongs", - V. Markin told. Based on check the relevant proceeding decision will be made, he added.

• On January 31 the Main Investigation Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation on the city of Moscow brought criminal case concerning heads of travel agency "Lanta-tour Voyage" on signs of the crime provided by Part 4 of Article 159 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (fraud, perfect organized group in especially large size). During investigation verification it was established that as a result of wrongful acts of company executives "Lanta-tour a voyage" more than three and a half thousand citizens to whom the material damage in especially large size is caused suffered^[1].

Putin's help

On January 31 the head of the government Vladimir Putin reported that the Lanta-tour a voyage" agreed with the State Bank about the help ", and gave day for problem solving of clients of tour operator. The prime minister does not see in the circumstances crime, including her "purely economic". It also charged to make amendments to laws not to allow similar states of emergency^[2].

Credit of VTB

On February 1 VTB stated that the Lanta-tour a voyage" will grant the loan to tour operator ". As reported Prime in the press service of bank, the credit will be issued on repayment of debts of Lanta to foreign partners. It will help to return home the tourists who "got stuck" abroad from whom hotels required a payment for accommodation and service. VTB will control expenditure of means they were used for designated purpose, added in the press service.

VTB, most likely, will take away business from owners of the company, the chairman of the board of the International confederation of societies of consumers Dmitry Yanin considers. "VTB just like that does not give such credits — he noted. — Most likely, business from owners of the company will be taken away and transferred to some other structure like Intourist. To the consumer it, of course, all the same".^[3]

On February 2 it became known that the credit amount of VTB will make $7 million, term - five years, the rate - 12%^[4].

The suspected Aeroflot

The people calling themselves by former employees of tour operator "Lanta-tour a voyage" accused of problems of the company of the top manager of Aeroflot Andrey Kalmykov. His relatives according to authors of the letter control the Sunrise Tour company competing about "Lanta-tour a voyage"^[5].

"We directly say that "The Lanta-tour of a voyage" and "The capital of a tour" is guilty of work suspension Kalmykov", says the appeal of, dated the 30th of January (Vedomosti has a text of the address).

According to authors, Kalmykov holding a position of the deputy CEO of Aeroflot was guided by the personal purposes: "Eliminate competitors from the market and "clean" the road for "family" company "Sunrise". According to SPARK, the owner of 1% of Sunrise Tour is Alexander Fadeyev, and 99% of this company — at "The Sunrise esst management" which on the parity basis belongs to Oksana and Evgenia Kalmykovym. Oksana is Andrey Kalmykov's spouse.

In the statement of Aeroflot it was said that the company is not involved in bankruptcy "Lanta-tour a voyage".^[6]

Later in airline said that will carry out an inspection of the contractual relations with tour operator of Sunrise Tour^[7].

History

The trademark Lanta-tour was registered in 1991 though initially the firm was not engaged in tourism. However in the company there was a tourist department which was headed by Lyudmila Puchkova. Later the tourist profile of firm became dominating, and then and the only thing, and Lyudmila Puchkova redeemed business from the former owners of the company.

In 1997 the company was transformed to Lanta-tour holding a voyage which all structures work under a uniform trademark.

Over time the Lanta-tour company a voyage became the multi-profile tour operator specializing in outbound group and individual tourism. At the same time the tour operator will organize own charter flights in 24 directions in Europe and Asia and also in the USA.

At the moment the Lanta-tour a voyage is one of the chief Russian tour operators with whom more than 6 thousand travel agencies in Russia, CIS and Baltic countries work. In the company about 400 employees at 4 offices in Moscow work. In addition Lanta has seven own representations in Novosibirsk, Yekaterinburg, Rostov-on-Don, Samara, Kazan, St. Petersburg and also in Kiev in Ukraine.

Activities (country)

Austria, Bulgaria, Great Britain, Hungary, Vietnam, Greece, Dominican Republic, India, Indonesia, Spain, Italy, Cuba, Malaysia, Netherlands, UAE, Russia, Singapore, USA, Thailand, Ukraine, France, Croatia, Montenegro, Czech Republic, Switzerland

Activities (types of tourism)

Air tickets, alpine skiing tourism, business tourism (MICE), individual tourism, cruises sea, medical tourism, beach tourism, excursion tourism.

Branches and representations

• Yekaterinburg. Ph.: (343) 219-68-18, 350-47-53

• Kazan. Ph.: (843) 238-18-96, 214-19-30

• Novosibirsk. Ph.: (383) 292-40-54

Notes