As for official statistics, naturally, they exist. The website of the Federal Tourism Agency of the Russian Federation has the following data - taking into account the number of Russians who left the country for the purpose of tourism. Naturally, there are no complete data for this year yet, so below is only for the first half of 2014.
The top six countries for tourism in 2014 are Turkey, Egypt, Thailand, Spain, Germany, Greece.
For comparison, data for the last year, 2013 - Turkey, Egypt, Greece, China, Thailand, Spain.
As for tourism leaders, in general, this is natural. I myself visited these countries, although not specifically in 2013-14.
Countries for general travel raise more questions.
It turns out that the most visited country in the first half of 2014 was Finland. Moreover, not from the point of view of tourism, but for official and other reasons. Then comes Turkey (which is logical), Ukraine and Kazakhstan (which is also quite predictable). Although it is unclear how the events in Ukraine affected the attendance of this country. And how correctly was the visit to Crimea considered - as an administrative object of which country? Abkhazia and Estonia, it turns out, are visited a little less often than Egypt. But, again, not for the purpose of tourism. And from which one? And I don't know for sure. Abkhazia is only at the level of fruit associations - New Year's tangerines immediately come to mind.
And also about the vicissitudes of statistics - Germany is rising, displacing China down in tourism, although the German consulate has never been easy to obtain visas. In this sense, Spain, which distributes semi- and annual Schengen cards, is more advantageous. By the way, it became the most visited country for tourism in the first half of 2014 from visa countries.
But in general, any statistics are a reflection of a certain level of development of society. Everyone chooses for themselves where it is better for them to spend their vacation - their optimal price/quality ratio.
And I would like to end on a somewhat thoughtful note.
What was in the advertisement - “If there is a paradise in the world, this is the Krasnodar region”? The slogan is, of course, optimistic.
But. I personally wanted to go to Spain this summer. And my friend went to Sochi. Guess who spent more money? :)
Saved
As for official statistics, naturally, they exist. The website of the Federal Tourism Agency of the Russian Federation has the following data - taking into account the number of Russians who left the country for the purpose of tourism. For this year, of course, there are no complete data yet, so below is only for the first half of 2014...
"/>When there is freedom, it is good. But when there is too much of it, that’s when serious problems begin. When a person is on his territory, he somehow restrains himself and tries to behave somehow reasonably.
But once you find yourself, for example, abroad, there are no barriers, no restrictions. People believe that whatever they do in another country will remain in it.
But in practice this leads to much more global consequences. This forms an opinion, and it is not always quite positive. Therefore, a rather biased attitude has developed towards a number of nationalities abroad.
And the Russians are among them. Moreover, alas, this is one of the most unloved nations abroad - after, perhaps, the Germans. And in most cases it’s not about the general attitude towards the nation, but about the attitude towards those tourists who are not aware of anything, who allow themselves too many freedoms abroad.
Let's look at 10 countries where they don't like Russian tourists - and when visiting them, it is advisable to take this fact into account - and, who knows, maybe this negative opinion will be completely changed.
10. Ukraine
Location: Western part of Ukraine
Of course, many will object to this statement, because Russians and Ukrainians have always considered themselves almost brothers. But the fact remains that sometimes you can stumble upon a real misunderstanding.
If you speak Russian, then you risk that you will be treated somewhat biasedly, and also that you will not, for example, be served in restaurants and other places with public service as well as if you spoke Ukrainian. It's a shame, but true. Although not everywhere, fortunately.
9. Türkiye
Location: all regions
Although you can hear a lot of unpleasant words from Russians about the behavior of Turks in the tourist area, you can hear even more of the opposite. Russian women are often criticized by Turkish women who consider them too promiscuous.
Men are criticized for other vices: love for excessive drinking, inability to behave competently when the action takes place at a buffet table, and so on. And there are more than enough myths about Russians, each more incredible than the other.
8. France
Location: Courchevel
Of all the places in France, this wonderful ski resort has the reputation of being the most loved by Russians. This has been going on since the collapse of the USSR, and although the majority of modern visitors to the resort are educated people, everyone still avoids Russians - they sometimes behave very shockingly. Although most of the service is still aimed specifically at Russians - you cannot find a restaurant that does not have a menu compiled in the appropriate language.
7. India
Location: Goa
Goa has long been considered one of the favorite Russian resorts. But many Russians who come there, to put it mildly, do not contribute to improving the image of their own country. Many crimes, oddly enough, are committed in Goa by Russians.
Moreover, often we are not even talking about tourists, but rather those people who have registered in Goa, started some small, not very legal business, and so on. Although India has tourism benefits from this nation, its losses are also high.
6. Egypt
Location: all regions
It is possible, in fact, to duplicate the situation with Turkey. On the one hand, they love Russian tourists here. They bring very big profits - but there are also a lot of problems from them.
Although Egyptians are also not known for their overly modest behavior, Russians often go beyond all reasonable boundaries with their parties, get-togethers and alcohol consumption. That’s why their reputation cannot be called overly positive; they are not liked here very much.
5. Latvia
Location: Riga
For many, the attitude of the Baltic residents towards the Russians will be inexplicable - some consider them almost blood brothers, while others, on the contrary, cannot stand them. Sometimes you can hear Latvians sarcastically discussing Russians, hoping that they do not understand their language. The following recommendation is usually given - when visiting Latvia, speak English to each other. Then you will be served more quickly in various establishments.
4. Germany
Location: all regions
It’s a paradox – the Germans are considered one of those nations from which tourists are usually disliked abroad. But they also show open antipathy towards tourists from Russia. Is it nothing other than competition?
However, in a number of situations they can be understood. For example, people here don’t really understand such a passionate attitude towards “freebies”. After all, if you provide a Russian with a buffet, which is a common thing in Germany, then he can get carried away to such an extent that he will have to hint that it’s time to finish.
3. Italy
Location: all regions
Italy has always been famous for its wine. It is considered one of the best in the world, and therefore the residents of this country are well versed in alcohol. But they cannot consume it in such quantities as the Russians. In the country, it is customary to savor drinks, and not take them for fun. This trait greatly irritates the locals. But, we must admit, Italians are also very noisy people, especially when it comes to watching sports broadcasts.
2. Greece
Location: all regions
And the situation with Turkey and Egypt is repeated again. Russians visit this country very often - the reason for this is the low, especially by European standards, prices.
And for some reason, the low price liberates people and allows them to believe that everything is now possible, and therefore reckless behavior creeps in here and there. And the Greeks are beginning to be very skeptical about Russian tourists, although they provide them with a wide range of services.
1. USA
Location: all regions
Perhaps the best example of how Russian tourists can be prejudiced. Alas, the consequences of information wars are still fresh in memory, and therefore both Americans are biased towards Russians, and vice versa. And this is expressed not only in visa problems, which also occur. This is also expressed in the fact that, walking down the street, if you speak your native language, you will probably feel sideways glances at you.
According to public surveys and information from leading tour operators in Russia, seventy percent of Russian tourists plan to spend their next vacation in Russia in 2017. Of these, fifty-five percent are going to go to Russian resorts on the Black or Azov Seas. The remaining tourists are planning a vacation in the city of St. Petersburg - nine percent, or in Moscow - six percent, three percent of respondents said about buying tours to the resorts of the Caucasus, Altai, Lake Baikal and Karelia, two percent of Russians go on vacation to Kazan, two more are going on a tour of the “Golden Ring of Russia”, one percent of tourists are going to Kamchatka.
Russian tourism officials have expressed their concern about the noticeable decrease in domestic tourist flows in 2017 compared to 2016. And they have something to worry about: many Russians waited for the opening of Turkey and happily returned to their favorite Turkish resorts. Already at the end of January 2017, the number of Russians who vacationed in Turkey exceeded the same indicators in 2016 by eighty-five percent. What can we say about the demand for summer holidays at Turkish resorts? The “early booking” promotion to Turkey, already launched by tour operators, was met with predictable excitement among Russians.
Russian tourists are no less anxiously awaiting the opening of flights with Egypt in order to visit long-tested and beloved Egyptian resorts. According to the information announced by Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matvienko, air traffic with Egypt will open immediately after Egypt completes its airport security plan, which has now been ninety percent completed. She personally conducted an inspection during a visit to Cairo, reporting that the Egyptian side had only four positions left to complete. There is also bad news: exhausted by the lack of tourists, as well as due to a sharp drop in the exchange rate of the local currency, the Egyptian pound, by half, I decided to increase the price of a single entry visa from twenty-five to sixty dollars from July 1, 2017, and a multiple entry visa to seventy dollars. In addition, Egyptian authorities announced an increase in prices for entrance tickets to Egypt's most famous attractions. So, from October 2017, a visit to the “Valley of the Pharaohs” or “Luxor Temple” will cost tourists sixty percent more. Tourism experts say that in this case, after the opening of Egypt, the number of tourists buying day trips to Cairo or Luxor will decrease significantly. Although, if you have dreamed all your life of seeing the main Egyptian antiquities, will the fact that the entrance to the “Great Pyramids of Giza” or the “Egyptian Museum” cost seven and a half dollars instead of five will stop you? In addition, experts expressed pessimism about the advisability of increasing the price of an Egyptian visa, saying that this would negatively affect the flow of tourists, because Egypt should not forget that it has powerful competitors who are very popular among Russians. For example, Turkey, which, on the contrary, reduces all visa barriers as much as possible, and Turkish hoteliers reduce prices for accommodation for Russian tourists. In addition, the United Arab Emirates also provided a free electronic visa to Russians.
There is one more destination that has regained popularity among Russian tourists in 2016 -. This country, with affordable prices for vacations where no visa is required, was in great demand in 2016 among Russians who appreciated its magnificent beaches, oriental hospitality, the beauty of architecture and the many interesting excursions possible in Tunisia. The Tunisian tourism authorities are not going to curtail the advertising campaign of their resorts in Russia. And, most likely, most of the Russians who vacationed in Tunisia will return there in 2017.
What measures are our authorities going to take to increase domestic tourism? The head of the Federal Tourism Agency suggested that hoteliers in the Krasnodar Territory and Crimea reduce prices for accommodation due to high competition with foreign beach holiday destinations, otherwise most of their clients will not return to them in 2017. He said that it is necessary to retain at any cost, and ideally, to reduce prices and improve the quality of services and products.
For Russian tourists, the determining factor in choosing a holiday destination is traditionally the price, which was mentioned by sixty-three percent of surveyed tourists, fifty-eight percent noted the “climate”, level of service and good infrastructure.
As for proposals to improve tourism in the regions, a proposal was made in the Moscow Regional Duma to create a new internal tourist route “The Great Golden Ring of Russia”, with the additional inclusion of the ancient cities near Moscow - Serpukhov, Kolomna and Zaraysk, which, the main route of the traditional “Golden Ring” rings" is avoided. It was said that this new route would be of interest to both Russian tourists themselves and foreign tourists.
In countries such as Turkey, Thailand and Egypt, a large number of Russian tourists vacation at resorts. Moreover, a significant percentage of vacationers are noisy groups, the proximity of which not everyone likes, even their compatriots. Therefore, lovers of tranquility and quiet neighbors in a hotel are recommended to relax at resorts where there are few Russian tourists.
Which resorts have few Russian tourists?
Since a significant part of our compatriots prefer to relax in popular and inexpensive resorts, the least Russians can be found in Central and South Africa, America, Australia, the Indian Ocean islands (Seychelles, Mauritius, Madagascar), as well as in Portugal, Great Britain, India and Morocco .
In those countries where Russian tour operators organize cheap charter flights, many Russian tourists vacation. Therefore, the popularity of the resort can be assessed by the availability of charter flights during the holiday season and by the range of packages offered by travel agencies.
European cities
Even in the now popular Europe, it is quite possible to find countries and cities where Russians rarely come. The Portuguese city of Porto, located on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean, is not yet very popular. The list of Portuguese cities rarely visited by Russians also includes Madeira, Fara and Lisbon. This also includes the Spanish resort of Seville, as well as the Polish town of Gdansk.
The city of Ancona is located on the east coast of Italy. In addition to sandy beaches, in the vicinity of this city there are many architectural attractions, including the ruins of ancient buildings. Russians rarely vacation in this city due to the lack of charter flights. However, you can go to Ancona without using the services of tour operators.
There are also cities in Spain that are rarely visited by Russian tourists. For example, in the central part of Andalusia you can relax, enjoying the absence of noisy compatriots. However, there are quite a lot of European tourists in Andalusia.
The Canary island of Fuerteventura, unlike Tenerife, is still deprived of the attention of Russians. Although there are many hotels in Tenerife where our compatriots are practically never found. These are mainly two-star and three-star hotels located away from the beaches.
Russians are actively preparing for the holiday season. We learned from experts which destinations will be popular this year and how much a summer vacation will cost.
Yulia Domracheva, PR-manager Aviasales:
This summer, Russians will traditionally vacation at our resorts - Sochi, Crimea, Anapa. Cheap flights from Moscow to Sochi are now available from RUB 6,000. in both directions at the beginning of June. It is also cheaper to fly to Crimea in June - tickets cost from 7 thousand rubles. round trip.
Among foreign destinations, we highlight Tivat, Barcelona, Burgas, Thessaloniki, Rome, Prague and Tbilisi. Tivat and Burgas are comparable in flight cost - from 13.5 thousand rubles. It’s easy to find tickets to Barcelona from 11 thousand rubles. with a transfer, direct flights will cost at least 17 thousand rubles. It is cheaper to fly to Thessaloniki with a transfer in Athens; for example, tickets for August cost from 9,200 rubles. Rome and Prague are popular at any time of the year, but in summer tickets there are more expensive than in other seasons - from 10 thousand rubles. and of course with a transfer, since direct flights can be purchased from 14 thousand. Tbilisi is also in demand all year round, and for the summer tickets are available from 10 thousand rubles. with a transfer to Baku.
Natalia Kharitonova, head of content marketing department at Travelata:
Top 5 holiday destinations in 2017: Turkey, Greece, Cyprus, Tunisia, Bulgaria. For comparison, in 2016 - Russia, Bulgaria, Greece, Cyprus, Spain. It is important to note that almost half of Turkey is booked for 5 stars, since prices even for luxury hotels are now very tolerable, and they were waiting for Turkey all last summer.
Currently, 57% more tours have been booked for the summer than last year for the same period. The average bill is still higher than last year.
By country - this year Turkey is in first place - 25% of all applications for the summer. Average bill - 84,000 rubles. for two, including flights and accommodation. Then Greece - 118 thousand rubles, Cyprus - 97 thousand rubles, Tunisia - 76 thousand rubles. and Bulgaria - 78 thousand rubles.
If you look at the minimum cost of the tour, then, for example, to Turkey you can buy a trip for two for a week starting from 40,000 rubles. (Alanya, all inclusive, June, August - about the same prices), Greece, starting from 45,000 rubles. (August - 55,000 rub.).
Maxim Pichugin, General Director of Cherekhapa Insurance:
Analyzing customer requests, we can already say with confidence that the priority destination for Russians will be the European coast of the Mediterranean Sea. Greece, Cyprus, Spain and Italy demonstrate good demand dynamics. The number of tours booked online by Russians increased by 30% in 2016. The forecast for the current year is even more optimistic.
Our fellow citizens miss all-inclusive offers and 5-star service. The country's economy is recovering after the crisis period and despite the political situation, Turkey and Egypt will again become leaders in 2017 (if they open up).
The cost of a package tour and a trip organized independently can vary several times. But the range of services will also differ. The cost of package tours to Egypt and Turkey today starts from 15–20 thousand rubles. per person. In the UAE - a little more expensive - from 30 thousand rubles. The cost of a holiday in Turkey, booked through online services, starts from 10 thousand rubles. For 50 thousand rubles. You can relax in the all-inclusive option.
Rodion Kadyrov, Head of Internet Marketing Department at MyLinker:
We compare the number of applications with last year and see that Abkhazia and the Krasnodar Territory are still in the lead. In Crimea, everything is like in 2016: people go on vacation in April and until the end of summer.
The popularity of Abkhazia can be explained by the low price of accommodation - it is possible to find accommodation for 300 rubles. per person. Wealthier travelers are coming to Sochi, since after the Olympics the cost of accommodation has increased several times.
Alexey Baraev, head of Alpissimo:
We are recording an avalanche-like growth in demand for organizing hikes in the Alps. Tourists are attracted by trekking - a format of recreation that they themselves call “non-trivial”. Trekking season in the Alps is summer and September, with most bookings traditionally made between April and July. This year, based on the results of January and February, we see an increase in bookings by 387% compared to 2016, which was very successful. The cost of weekly trips varies from 37 to 53 thousand rubles.
Lyubov Yakubovskaya, Deputy Director, Wildlife Conservation Center:
If we still talk not only about popular, but also about exotic, new destinations, then we must mention the Arctic. Government forces have been deployed to promote this direction, and this could lead to a real influx of tourists along Arctic routes. We, as environmentalists, urge future tourists to be responsible towards the natural sites they visit. Northern nature has a very modest “margin of safety”; it is easy to disturb, but almost impossible to restore. And the places there are interesting and unusual.
