The interest of Russians in tours to Japan and Korea has increased significantly: the reason is named

– Recently, almost every third caller is interested in whether it is possible to visit South Korea. We receive dozens of such requests a day and, according to my estimates, the interest has grown several times. – told “MK” Daria, a representative of one of the tour operators involved in sending tourists to the East. – Package tours, indeed, have become available since the beginning of August. A week in Seoul will cost about 1.5 thousand dollars per person. There are also more expensive tours – for example, for 2.5 thousand dollars, but there are also economy options, and the all-inclusive format.

Recently, tourists have been coming to Korea for medical purposes. Diana, a 48-year-old top manager from Moscow, who is obsessed with aesthetic medicine, explained to MK:

– In Seoul, anti-aging procedures are one and a half times cheaper than in Germany, and getting to Europe is now not much easier than to Korea. Cosmetics are also cheaper there – there are big cheats in our stores. And I will even take creams and masks to order for girls.

“Korean doctors are excellent diagnosticians, so I personally know colleagues who are ready to undergo a banal medical examination or examination there, even if they overpay,” says another Russian woman, stylist Anna, who is going to this country.

As summarized by the Association of Tour Operators of Russia, based on expert data, the high interest of Russians in South Korea is associated with loyal entry conditions, the ability to pay in this country with a Mir card (albeit in a truncated format for now) and the country’s rich tourist opportunities.

Meanwhile, tourists who have already visited Korea warn: the eastern foreign land only at first glance seems quiet and friendly. It is not worth losing your vigilance, having become exhausted from the beauty of local autumn parks and the smiles of passers-by.

– In the hotel room, I advise you not to leave phones and other valuables in plain sight. Better use the safe or take them with you, says Muscovite Igor Danilov. – I lost an expensive watch during the trip. And a colleague in a cafe quietly stole a laptop. Yes, and the attitude towards the Russians there is ambiguous. I won’t say that the Koreans really follow the political agenda in Europe and distinguish us Russians, but I did catch a couple of sidelong glances during the trip. Although the country itself, of course, is simply fantastic. Maybe it’s worth enduring for the sake of this and the difficulties with the flight, and everything else.

Meanwhile, tour operators announced that group tours to Japan appeared for our tourists – for the red maple season. The price of the issue is about a quarter of a million for 9 days for two.

– In our country, the weather is simply terrible, especially in summer. At the end of July-August, you can move from home to work only in dashes: it is unbearably hot and stuffy outside. There are also periods of strong cold winds. But autumn is a blessing. – told “MK” living in Tokyo ex-Russian. – The season of maples, or, literally, “red leaves” begins closer to October and lasts until the beginning of winter. Parks and forests become colorful. The weather is comfortable. Only now, since the pandemic, I no longer observe Russian tourists on the streets. Let me remind you that we opened for international tourism only in June, and officially almost enemies for Russia.

– Yes, although the tourist flow to Japan is recovering, it is very smooth, – the tour operators admit. – From January to July, 3.3 thousand arrivals to this country were registered, and in July – 800. We are talking about organized tourists. But Japan has not been a mass destination before. But the demand for tours to it is now gaining momentum!

It would seem that holidays in Korea and Japan from a geographical point of view should be relevant mainly for residents of the Far East. However, as one big person in the tourism industry explained to MK, the easiest way to get there is just for residents of megacities in the central part of Russia. Therefore, it is from them that the demand for such tours comes.

– First of all, I will note that there are no friendly and unfriendly countries in tourism, – the interlocutor warned. – Citizens of the Russian Federation can enter any country. Another question is how difficult it is and for what money. Trips to Japan have never been so-called “frontier tourism”. And in ancient times, it was interesting to Russians for its unique natural qualities, and culture, and gastronomy. Covid restrictions have been lifted and now it’s really possible to get there this fall. really. The only thing holding back potential Russian tourists is the lack of direct air traffic. You will have to fly through Istanbul, Abu Dhabi, Dubai and so on. Those who live in the same Vladivostok, in order to get to Japan, which is practically at hand, must first fly to Moscow or St. Petersburg, because there are no international flights from the Far East now. A tourist can only get to Japan by plane. Can you imagine how much tickets will cost?

The expert warned that it is more economical and more convenient to go to the country of the samurai with a tour package. Because you pay the tour operator in rubles, and he pays the host party by bank transfer, converting wooden ones at a rate close to the stock exchange:

– It is better to save the available cash currency for souvenirs, trips to cafes and excursions. But still, a package tour to Japan for two, which three years ago cost 400 thousand rubles (of which about 70 thousand are air tickets), will now cost 150 thousand more. Ticket prices have doubled.

However, given the rise in prices for tours both to the East and to Europe, one can only rejoice theoretically. For those who have an extra couple of hundred thousand.

Now there is a boom in international tourism in the world, the number of tourist trips abroad this year has increased by 250-300 percent, but for well-known reasons, our figures have fallen by 60 percent. If it were not for Turkey, the Emirates, Egypt, it would be even worse, – the expert complains.