Riots in Makhachkala damage tourism image of Dagestan

There was no mass cancellation of tours to Dagestan amid the unrest in Makhachkala, but some tourists refused to travel to the republic, representatives of travel agencies report. They have pointed out that because of the unrest, Dagestan risks losing its attractiveness for guests from other regions.

The “Caucasian Knot” has reported that on October 29, mass riots occurred at an airport in Makhachkala following the messages reporting the alleged arrival of a plane with passengers from Israel. More than 20 people were injured, including nine police officers.

In its Telegram channel, the Ministry of Tourism of Dagestan reports that the information disseminated on the Internet about the mass cancellation of tours to Dagestan is incorrect.

The riots at the Makhachkala airport could “put an end” to the republic’s tourism industry, some tourists are cancelling their tours to Dagestan, notes Saadula Omarov, the president of the Dagestan Travel Industry Association, the “Gazeta.Ru” portal reports.

Shamil Shangereev, the head of the “Shangereev-Tour” company, says that a group of seven people, frightened by the situation at the Makhachkala airport, refused to travel to Dagestan.

“It’s very unpleasant to see that one such incident can scare people away from traveling to Dagestan for a long time after for so many years tour operators have been trying to give a positive image to the republic and the region has become truly tourist attractive,” noted Shamil Shangereev.

Madina, a representative of a hotel in Makhachkala, says that on October 29, the hotel accommodated about 10 tourists from different regions of the country.