Max, a Russian in his 40s, used to enjoy wandering through museums in France, enjoying fine dining in Italy and trekking through the picturesque hills of Spain. However, the difficulties of traveling in Europe made him hesitant.
"I understand the problems I encountered when applying for visas to European countries. In the future, when everything is normal, I hope I can go to Europe again," he shared.
Europe without Russian tourists
Last week, the European Union (EU) agreed to suspend a 2007 travel agreement with Moscow that makes it easier for Russians to get visas. However, the suspension makes travel to Europe more difficult and expensive for Russian citizens.
Specifically, many countries such as the Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Latvia and Lithuania have imposed strict restrictions on travel and work visas for Russian citizens. Estonia was the first country to impose visa restrictions on Russian citizens. However, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has repeatedly opposed this decision. Greece and the Republic of Cyprus also have similar views.
Many European countries tighten visas for Russian visitors.
EU countries such as Italy, Spain, Cyprus and Greece were once among the top 20 most booked destinations by Russian tourists, according to data from travel analytics firm ForwardKeys. However, that number has dropped rapidly. Olivier Ponti, a representative of ForwardKeys, said the number of Russian air trips to Europe in the summer was only 26% of the number in 2019.
"Russians' holiday options have become more limited. Many popular destinations with direct flights have been closed. Russians can still travel to Europe, but they have to travel via Istanbul and Dubai," he said.
Where do Russians choose to go?
According to ForwardKeys, the difficulty of traveling in Europe has led Russians to look for other destinations. Compared to the same period in 2019, from June to August, data shows that Russian tourists are increasingly concentrated in some other destinations such as the Maldives (from 5% to 20%), Seychelles (from 3% to 7%), Türkiye (from 4% to 8%) and the UAE (from 1% to 3%).
Most of these destinations were popular with Russians before the conflict. However, interest has increased significantly as EU destinations have become more restricted. Analysis from the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) shows that the Maldives has long been a favorite destination for wealthy Russians, who can easily obtain tourist visas for up to 90 days.
Russians limit travel due to economic problems.
Analysts Mario Bikarski and Federica Reccia of the EIU said Turkey's more favorable exchange rate since mid-March could boost Russian tourist numbers. The Turkish lira is trading at $0.055 - close to a record low after the Turkish central bank cut its benchmark interest rate in August, despite inflation running at nearly 80%.
However, travel for Russian tourists may be further restricted. In addition to the EU suspending a 2007 visa agreement with Moscow, Russians themselves are reluctant to travel for economic reasons.
"If the conflict continues, the economic outlook will also worsen and affect the travel trends of this group of tourists," analysts said.
