Named the most popular countries among Russian travelers in 2018
According to Maya Lomidze, Executive Director of the Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR), Turkey and Thailand have become the most popular countries for vacations with Russian tourists this year.
The top ten best-selling destinations included Germany. Italy. Spain. Cyprus. GreeceUAE, Tunisia. France.
According to the expert, this year the outbound tourist flow from Russia has increased by 8% compared to 2017.
“In the spring and at the beginning of the season, there were cautious expectations that the growth in the outbound tourism market would be up to 10%. But collectively, we didn't make it. According to our estimates, the growth in outbound tourism will be a maximum of 8%, she said.
According to Lomidze, there are states that “showed absolutely breakthrough dynamics”, and with their help such growth was ensured.
It's Turkey (+25%) Arab Emirates (+40%). The latter country was among the five countries sold all year round, while it should be noted that the abolition of visas played a role.
Maya Lomidze notices a trend: Russian travelers choose budget tours with a short flight, a minimum of excursions and additional services at an average price of 50-60 thousand rubles per person.