Russia expects almost no tourists this summer

The Association of Tour Operators in Russia (ATOR) has said that there will be few foreign tourists in Russia this summer.

According to ATOR’s preliminary data, the number of tourists will decrease by more than 95 per cent this summer compared to the period before the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Gazeta.ru.

“There is no demand for inbound tourism in Russia by groups and individual tourists from the main inbound markets, namely, Europe, China, Japan, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East, and this summer cannot be compared at all with the pre-COVID period in 2019,” ATOR quotes a representative of Intourist tourism company as saying.

“Demand for tours to Russia in 2021 covered by COVID-19 pandemic and the current period is also difficult to compare as tourists from the Middle East could visit Moscow, St. Petersburg and Sochi last summer,” a representative of Intourist tourism company said, adding that there are almost no foreign tourists now.

ATOR reveals several reasons for the decrease in the number of incomers. The transportation cost has sharply risen and there are no direct flights from several countries, visa restrictions and absence of e-visas, as well as tourists, cannot pay via Visa and Mastercard cards, and some brand companies have left the Russian Federation.

However, experts disclose two key reasons, namely, the complexity of logistics and the high cost of tickets to Moscow (and other Russian cities).