Top countries in which the Russians rested in the summer: what angered compatriots

The first place, as predicted, is occupied by Turkey – more than 2.1 million of our compatriots went there this summer.

– She is in the lead by a huge margin from all competitors, – they say in the Association of Tour Operators of Russia.

– This summer, of all the tours that we sold, 70 percent were in Turkey – most often, customers chose Antalya, Kemer, Bodrum and, of course, Istanbul, – told MK in one of the major travel agencies. – The decisive thing for the Russians was the fact that they accept Mir in Turkey, the flight is direct and relatively short, and also that our people are very loved there, despite the general trend in the world.

The travel agency noted that, despite the almost doubled price of tour packages, our vacationers did not try to save money by reducing the duration of the tour: they gave away all their savings, took out loans, but tried to “capture” as many days as possible.

Abkhazia, which unexpectedly took second place in the ranking, also has an impressive result. According to experts, a total of about 800 thousand tourists rested there (most of them rested on their own, without contacting travel agencies).

– Prices for Abkhazia have increased, but only slightly, and you can get there by car, by train, and by plane. In addition, a visa is not needed, there are no covid restrictions. In general – like in Sochi, only cheaper – local resorts are praised in a travel agency. However, the Internet is filled with outraged reviews of disappointed vacationers.

– Moving around Abkhazia by car is scary. The roads are narrow, there are cows all around, and the local “jigits” as one and the same neglect the rules of traffic rules, writes tourist Elena, “Moreover, at the entrance we were ripped off a thousand rubles for auto insurance (in case we become the culprits of an accident). This year they chose Abkhazia for vacation, because they were limited in funds, and I was cruelly deceived. I have never been so disappointed in the Black Sea.

– I will characterize Abkhazia in two words: dirt and unsanitary conditions, – Russian woman Natalia shared with MK, who is now resting on the “Soviet Riviera”. – Yes, nature is beautiful, there is a sea, but the complete lack of normal service and general neglect are depressing. In addition, our whole family caught rotavirus.

– The attitude towards tourists from Russia here is bestial, – Artem, who is resting, is not shy in expressions, – Everywhere is rubbish, cockroaches, rats. I will never go here again.

Bronze in the tour ranking was in the United Arab Emirates. Moreover, for some tour operators, this direction has even taken second place in terms of demand. According to preliminary data, about 170-180 thousand of our tourists rested in the Emirates this summer. In comparison with the same Turkey, this is, of course, not much, but it is twice as high as last summer.

– Summer demand for the UAE this year was unusually active (at the end of the summer, some companies sold almost all tours there until mid-October), they share in ATOR. – This situation is explained by the lack of beach destinations, and the great demand for flights to the UAE among tourists who choose this country as a transit point for flights to Europe or Asia.

– Prices for tours in the UAE this summer have increased by 30 percent, so those who have loved before and could afford to relax there have not changed their habits. Plus, Russians were added to them, not used to cheap holidays in Turkey, but this time they did not have the opportunity to go to Europe, ”said Christina, an employee of the travel agency.

But Egypt, always beloved by Russians, now occupies only fourth place. According to ATOR’s preliminary estimate, this summer about 100 thousand of our tourists rested there, which is significantly less than last year. The price-quality ratio, according to compatriots, is not the same in the country of the pharaohs. On average, the cost of a tour to Egypt increased by 62%.

The Russian woman Victoria shared her impression of the vacation in Hurghada “MK”:

– We went with our daughters to a five-star hotel for a week, we wanted to stand out: they say, everyone is in Turkey, but we are not like that. In the end, they regretted it. It’s hot as hell, you can’t stick your nose out of your room after 10 am. The hotel itself was half empty – on the beach and in the restaurant were always almost alone. Of the pluses, I will name the beautiful marine fauna and the general friendly attitude towards us of the staff and, in general, the locals. True, and here too much: Egyptian men followed me and my daughters with hungry eyes. Yearned, you see, for Russian women, no one goes to them.

The fifth place in the ranking was occupied by the Maldives, where about 55 thousand Russians had a rest this summer.

– Absolutely the majority of these tourists are clients of tour operators. Two-thirds of tourists from the Russian Federation fly to the Maldives from Moscow on direct flights, a third on connecting flights, ATOR specified.

– The price of tours to this direction has not increased almost. But this vacation is not for the middle class: about 300 thousand rubles for two, – says the representative of the tour operator Christina. – I think that’s why the Maldives is only in fifth place.

What other countries did the Russians choose this summer? There are very few of them. Apart from Georgia, Armenia and other former Soviet republics, the list includes Thailand, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, Qatar… But this is a very small percentage.

“Our tourists were scared away from traveling to Sri Lanka by protests taking place in the country, power cuts, difficulties with gasoline and rumors about a strong rise in prices (although in practice, if you pay in dollars and euros, it is not noticeable), says tourist Olga, who I was not afraid and flew in August to Sri. – In fact, everything is already getting better here and you can safely relax. Unless, of course, there will be new popular riots and coups. True, our bank cards do not work here, but you can take cash rubles – I changed a lot.

By the way, the thesis that the “CIS countries” have become leaders in outbound organized tourism has not been confirmed by either official or tour operator statistics. According to ATOR, this summer, about 800 thousand trips from Russia were made to Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, and the vast majority of them were not related to tourism.