Ukrainian conflict raises the price of travel for Russian tourists
Russia's invasion of Ukraine is having serious repercussions for the invading country. One of these measures has been a ban on entry to some airspace, so Russians are going to be more affected when looking for a holiday. Right now, Turkey and Egypt are among the countries where Russians are not banned from entering, and are already among the most popular places for Russians to spend the summer and relax.
But with few places to spend their holidays, the prices of these places have increased considerably, even doubling their normal price. The latest report by aviation news website Simply Flying, notes that right now, the average price of an all-inclusive package holiday for two Russians has risen to 80% more than its usual price.
In the example of Turkey; whereas before the whole war in Ukraine, a ten-day all-inclusive package in a three-star hotel at the end of February could cost Russians around $680. Now, after the outbreak of the war, average minimum prices are almost $1,200.
In the case of Egypt, the same ten-day package at the end of February, including a stay for two people, cost $750 travelling from Russia. However, now the average minimum prices, as in Turkey, are just over $1,200.
The report stresses that this increase in package holidays can only be explained by the depreciation in the value of the Russian currency, the rouble. Added to this is the fact that having few options for travel and, above all, that these destinations are among the top holiday destinations for the Russian population, is forcing the creation of "a price war" to attract visitors from Russia.
Egypt and Turkey are highly dependent on Russian tourism and therefore both will fight by raising or lowering prices more than the other country to tempt travellers from Russia. It is also worth noting that cheaper prices were previously available, but the coronavirus situation and the various restrictions imposed by the territories on entering their borders have caused prices to rise significantly in just two years.
According to The Media Line, a news agency dedicated to reporting on what is happening in the Middle East, "the combination of a currency crisis, rising costs and falling tourist numbers means that businesses in the two countries will not recover from the pandemic as previously thought".
The Simply Flying paper also compares Russian inflows to Turkey and Egypt compared to last year. In 2021, 4.7 million Russians constituted the main source of revenue for Turkey's tourism sector, both in hotels, restaurants, entertainment venues, etc. More than 19% of the tourists passing through the country were of Russian nationality. On the other hand, the Egyptian newspaper Al-Ahram added that during the first two weeks of this year, 125,000 tourists visited the nation of the pyramids.
It is also added that Ukrainian tourism is very strong in these areas and is another key factor in attracting tourists to these places. But now, with the situation of destruction in their country, it is important to note that they will not travel for a long time to spend their holidays outside the Ukrainian territory. It also depends on how long the conflict drags on.
Russians are suffering the full consequences of the fighting in Ukraine, with many even refusing to participate and demonstrating against the wishes of Vladimir Putin, their president. Europe and North America have now closed their borders and airspace, so Russian tourists will have to spend more money elsewhere, where they will be allowed to pass through.
