Only for Europeans: Africa has introduced “humanitarian” prices for holidays

A truly “revolutionary” discovery was accidentally made by the Russians, who are looking for a warm country for wintering – to be cheap, but not angry, but friendly. According to these parameters, the majority of domestic long-steers chose between Goa, Sri and Thai, but it turned out that they were looking in the wrong direction at all. We learned about the “new corridor” first hand.

“Before the pandemic, my husband and company spent the winter in Goa,” says 32-year-old Katya from Yekaterinburg. – Last winter, the Indians still had covid restrictions and we spent the winter in Sri Lanka. We have been to Thailand and Bali before, so the picture is complete, and this winter we are going to Nha Trang, this is Vietnam. Stops only the lack of direct flights and the hellish price for connecting flights. Even an inconvenient flight through Tashkent, Delhi and Ho Chi Minh City costs from 100 thousand per person one way. For comparison, before the pandemic, we took tickets for direct charters to Goa and back for 50-60 thousand for two. Due to the lack of direct flights and charters, the contingent of Russian winterers is now unable to afford even the cheapest corners of Southeast Asia.

Why Vietnam then?

– Method of elimination. In Sri crisis, shortages and unrest, Goa was flooded with local tourists, and this is a very specific audience. On the one hand, they are noisy and wild, and on the other hand, they have inflated prices. In India, only the rich can travel to resorts. Tai is making up for lost time during the pandemic, housing and food are the most expensive there. In Bali, December-January is not the season, cheap housing is bad, and we can’t afford a villa. In Vietnam, in this sense, the optimal ratio of price to quality, plus the most important thing is the correct attitude of the locals.

– But the Sri Lankans treat the Russians well, and the Indians ….

– That’s the meaning of the word “correct”. Indians like to enter into a political discussion, even on the side of Russia, but it’s still useless. And they are very active: they come right at the airport or on the street and start … In Tae, it’s the other way around: not everyone is well disposed towards the Russians, and some do not try to hide it. And the Vietnamese in this sense are delicate and restrained. But now they are also being canceled, we accidentally learned about new opportunities.

Ekaterinburgers Katya and her husband Vitaly, one might say, were lucky: they, without knowing it, were enlightened by a university friend who married in Germany five years ago.

“Her husband is not rich, everything is on credit,” Katya describes the life of her friend. – A small house in a small town near Berlin on a mortgage, they never rested abroad, only at home, to their husband’s aunt, they went to a Bavarian village. In general, they did not show off even at the best of times. And this winter, Vika and her Herr Karl suddenly decided to go to Egypt, but immediately for 2 months! Vichka told Vitaly and me, offered to meet there, she is sure that the Russians should be driven to Hurghada just like to their own dacha.

Katya asked her friend why her Karl was generous. The answer shocked her:

– In our town in the winter, interruptions in heating and hot water are possible, and if you heat with a heater, electricity bills will gobble up the entire budget. The husband calculated and realized that it is easier to spend the two coldest months in Egypt for 18 euros per day for a double room in a five-star hotel with full board, flights and transfers included. Usually it’s more expensive, but this winter African resorts gave Europeans “humanitarian” prices due to fuel problems.

And so it turned out that Egypt, Turkey, as well as the so-called countries of the Maghreb (Tunisia and Morocco), on the eve of the likely increase in European prices for natural gas, electricity, coal and firewood by winter, hastened to make proposals to Europeans that are difficult to refuse.

– Turkish resorts invite EU citizens to spend the winter in their five-star hotels operating on an all-inclusive basis for 26 euros per day (about 1,600 rubles), – they recognize in the capital’s travel agency. – But Africa still “rules” – Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia – not so far from Europe, but in winter it is much warmer than in Turkey. Morocco and Tunisia quickly built a “package lure”: 60 days of rest in an all-inclusive hotel in Moroccan resorts for 1539 euros (93 thousand rubles) or the same period in similar conditions, but on the Tunisian Riviera for 1769 euros (107 thousand . rub). Outside the “package” Moroccan and Tunisian hotels give prices from 22 to 26 euros per day on a full board basis. In most offers, the price of the flight is already included. But nothing surprising: for Europe, northern Africa is the most budgetary destination.

Having received such offers, many Europeans suspect that winter at home with rising gasoline prices and possible interruptions in heating may cost them more than Asian and African hospitality. But as a result of the battle for the client, the Egyptian Hurghada surpassed everyone, offering the same 18 euros for 5-star all-inclusive, from which even the heart of the economical Karl trembled. Just in case, I check the information with a friend who lives in Berlin.

– Yes, we have tours for 22 winter days in Antalya for 599 euros (about 36 thousand rubles), this price includes direct flights, all transfers and full board. You will have to pay extra only for excursions, if you want to. But the Germans look more at Egypt, it’s warmer there. Our most popular tour is 60 days in Hurghada for 900 plus euros (about 60 thousand rubles), also all inclusive, except for excursions around the country. This is a very timely proposal.

The Russian woman, who permanently lives in France, has the same opinion:

– Many of us gathered for the winter in Agadir (Moroccan resort – J.G.), there 29 euros per day. And who loves SPA and rejuvenation, those in Sousse or Hammamet (Tunisia – J.G.), there are generally within 20 euros per day. The flight is included everywhere, but it costs a penny from us. They speak French there, everything is cheap. Of course, it’s better than freezing at home. Our travel agencies refused to sell tours to the Canary Islands, although it is warm there, but the difficulties are pan-European. Instead of the Canaries, now Djerba (an island belonging to Tunisia – J.G.) is both cheaper and calmer.

“But we, of course, cannot see such prices as our own ears,” sums up Ekaterinburger Katya, who was the first to learn about the generosity of warm countries to Europeans. – Even if the authors of these proposals are theoretically ready to accept the Russians, then our tour operator with an air carrier will be added to their price, and the declared cost will lose all its charm. But if you have a Schengen area and acquaintances in Europe, all is not lost. They can buy a tour in your name from themselves, and you will drive up closer to winter, give them the money and fly to your vacation spot on a direct cheap flight included in the kind African invitation.