Where Russians are vacationing this spring

The war in Iran has disrupted international tourism. Thousands of flights were canceled worldwide in March due to airspace restrictions in the Middle East. The luxury havens and hubs of Dubai and Abu Dhabi were temporarily completely shut down for security reasons. Against this backdrop, Russian tourists are reorienting themselves this spring and choosing tried-and-tested vacation destinations in faraway places as well as destinations in the post-Soviet region. Vacation alternative quickly found In view of the May holidays in Russia, which this year fall on May 1 to 3 and May 9 to 11, travel providers are highlighting Turkey, Egypt, Vietnam, Thailand and China. Turkey is particularly popular with Russian holidaymakers at the moment. According to the Turkish Tour Operators Association, the number of tourists from Europe has fallen by 20-25%. Russians can currently book an all-inclusive week in a five-star hotel in the popular vacation resort of Antalya for 120,000 to 130,000 roubles, the equivalent of 1,350 to 1,465 euros. According to the travel provider Russkij Express, demand for trips to Vietnam has tripled. The country is increasingly stealing holidaymakers from Thailand due to its better value for money, according to the travel provider. A package tour to Vietnam with a five-star hotel costs from 175,000 roubles (1970 euros) compared to 220,000 roubles (2500 euros) in the Thai tourist region of Phuket under the same conditions. Proven vacation destinations enjoyed more Russian tourists in March. According to the travel provider Sletat.ru, Turkey accounted for more than 26% of bookings from March 1 to 11, followed by Egypt (24%), Thailand (12%) and China (10.4%). The Middle Kingdom in particular recorded a huge increase in demand of 93% compared to the end of February. For a week in the Chinese island province of Hainan with a five-star hotel, Russian vacationers are currently paying 215,000 roubles, 2400 euros. Interest in neighboring countries Russian travelers are showing increasing interest in the post-Soviet region. Over the May holidays, many tourists opt for the Belarusian capital Minsk, for example, or Tashkent and Samarkand in Uzbekistan, which impress with their fascinating architecture. At the beginning of March alone, Russians booked 66% more trips to Georgia than in the same period last year. Uzbekistan (+63%), Armenia (45%) and Kazakhstan (+13%) also recorded growth. Minsk in neighboring Belarus in particular is attracting Russian holidaymakers with its favorable travel conditions. Firstly, Russian tourists can enter the country without a visa and secondly, travel costs are low. For example, a bus ticket from the Russian border town of Smolensk to Minsk costs around 2300 roubles, the equivalent of 25 euros, and the journey takes just over four hours. For a flight ticket Moscow - Minsk, Russian tourists pay at least 5100 roubles, the equivalent of 57 euros. Popular destinations in Russia The number of May bookings within Russia fell by 15% compared to the same period last year, according to figures from the Russian Tour Operators Association (ATOR). According to the tour operator OneTwoTrip, Kazan accounted for around 15% of all bookings, followed by St. Petersburg (14%), Moscow (11.4%), Nizhny Novgorod (4.5%) and Kaliningrad (3%). Overall, the travel period has decreased from 2.6 days to 2.3 days compared to the beginning of May last year. An overnight stay costs an average of 10,400 roubles, 115 euros. Individual travelers pay an average of 5400 roubles (60 euros) per night for vacation apartments in Russia over the May holidays, an increase of 8% on the previous year. Renting a vacation home during this period costs an average of 13,200 roubles (145 euros, +9%). The leading regions in this segment are Moscow, Leningrad, Karelia on the border with Finland and the Republic of Tatarstan. Tourists stay away from the Emirates In view of the conflict in the Middle East, many beaches and hotels in the United Arab Emirates will remain empty this season. Russia's Ministry of Economic Development estimates that the Russian tourism industry has lost 7 billion roubles, 77.7 million euros, as a result of the war in Iran. The financial damage for the Arab countries in the Middle East is far greater: a study by the UN Development Program (UNDP) fears losses in gross domestic product of 120 to 194 billion dollars. The World Tourism Council (WTTC) stated that the region is losing revenue of around 600 million dollars a day due to the slump in travel. Kerosene prices and new flight routes The Russian booking service Level.Travel. has observed price increases of 10-15% for package tours. This is due to two factors that are making flight tickets more expensive: rising kerosene costs for aviation companies and changing flight routes. According to the German business newspaper Handelsblatt, the price of aviation fuel has risen disproportionately. At the end of March, a gallon (around 3.8 liters) cost more than four US dollars. At the end of 2025, it was still around two dollars. Russian holidaymakers are currently switching to alternative routes. For some popular travel routes, the proportion of connecting flights is 40-60%, explains Dmitry Gorin, Vice President of the Russian Tourism Industry Association. Before the outbreak of the Iran war, many connections were made via Middle Eastern countries by the airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai, Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad. This development is primarily affecting the number of tourists in faraway Indonesia, the Maldives and Sri Lanka. According to experts, Russian tourists will make greater use of Turkey, Serbia and Georgia as hubs. According to the travel provider OneTwoTrip, Russians are now choosing China more often as a transfer point, and India could also become more important as a hub in the future.  The post Where Russians are going on vacation this spring appeared first on ostwirtschaft.de.