The CEO of the Space Travel tourism company Arthur Muradyan, told the Russian news website NEWS.ru that the most popular destinations for New Year’s holidays among Russians are Egypt, the UAE, and Thailand.
One of the most visited places for cultural tourism is Turkey, he added, specifically Istanbul.
The expert added that Georgia, Armenia, Tajikistan and Azerbaijan have witnessed a rise in bookings for the holidays.
These destinations have direct and regular flights, and the cost of the flight is much cheaper compared to beach destinations.
There is an increase in customs tariffs from suppliers on holidays. Therefore, the cost of tours during this time of the year increases by 30-40 percent.
The President of the Russian Union of Tourist Industry (RCT) Ilya Umansky revealed back in July that Russian outbound tourism in the first half of the year grew by 15 percent and that by the end of the year, the total number of Russians who will travel outside the country on tourist trips will reach 10 million.
Umansky said, according to the Russian Interfax Agency: “We do not get enough tourists, and the growth rate reached 15 percent upon departure, and that travel experts in Russia are confused about Turkey.”
“We predicted that the influx of tourists to Turkey would increase compared to last year from 5.2 million to seven million, but so far the forecast has not been met due to changes in the cost of holidays in Turkey and the weakening of the ruble,” he explained.
A report by ForwardKeys confirmed earlier in May that the Russian tourist flow to Egypt has risen by 181 percent, while decreasing by 99 percent to the European Union and Britain.
“As expected, the sanctions and the ban on direct flights between Russia and most of the European Union have led to a significant reduction in Russia’s air links with the rest of the world,” the report explained.
The Middle East and Turkey, which did not ban flights to Russia, have therefore benefited, according to the report.
