While large numbers of Americans have expressed interest in visiting the Soviet Union since the failure of the Aug. 19 coup, tour operators say the volume of visitors is not likely to match that in Berlin in 1989 following the collapse of the Berlin Wall.
According to representatives of 10 companies offering tours to the Soviet Union, a string of cancellations because of the coup was followed quickly by a small flurry of inquiries and bookings when it became clear the coup had collapsed.The State Department, which warned against travel to the Soviet Union on Aug. 19, downgraded its advisory to a caution the day afer the coup failed.
"All the people who weren't going are calling back saying they want to go now," said Don Streicher, whose Chicago-based Unitours booked 11 new slots for fall tours two days after the coup failed - a significant number given the time of year and a lethargic travel market.
Representatives of General Tours and the Russian Travel Bureau, two of the largest companies specializing in tours to the Soviet Union, said the wave of interest comes after a slow summer.
Tourism to the Soviet Union was half what it was in 1989, when Intourist reported 17,000 to 18,000 American visitors a month.
And while it's impossible to predict how strong the fall will be, operators say they are encouraged by the strong interest since Aug. 21, when it became clear the coup was collapsing.
"When I ask these people, `Why now?' the answer is "Suddenly, I understand the Russians,"' said E. Wallace Lawrence 3d, chairman of the Russian Travel Bureau, noting that his company "has been through Chernobyl, the 1980 Olympics, the downing of the Korean airliner - all the ups and downs of Soviet travel. But this is the first time there has been such an emotional outpouring of interest."
Check with your local travel agent for details on trips to the U.S.S.R.
Other options include:
General Tours, 770 Broadway, New York, N.Y. 10003, (212) 598-1800, or (800) 221-2216, is offering a reasonably priced eight-day tour of Leningrad and Moscow starting this November.
Departures are frequent, and prices start at $799, including round-trip air fare from New York.
Russia Travel Bureau (225 East 44th Street, New York, N.Y. 10017, (212) 986-1500 or (800)847-1800), has a 15-day "Peter the Great's Grandeur of Russia" tour, which includes stops in Leningrad, Moscow, Kuskovo, Vladimir and a cruise from Helsinski to Stockholm. Numerous departures, including those on Sept. 28 and Oct. 12. Prices start at $3,547, round trip from New York or Los Angeles.