Russian tourists seek new destinations as Europe shuts its doors over Ukraine war

Issued on: 23/05/2023 – 18:02

Known for its combination of tropical beaches, lush rice paddies and volcanic mountains, Bali is a renowned tourist haven that attracts visitors from all over the world. But last year the Indian Ocean island began to see an increase in a certain kind of traveller: some 58,000 Russians had travelled to Bali by the end of the year. In January 2023 alone, visitor numbers from Russia jumped to 22,500, according to Indonesian government data, making Russians the second-largest visitor group after Australians. 

In another tourist hotspot on the opposite side of the world, the figures tell a different story. So far this year, “Paris had 95.8% fewer Russian tourists arriving by air between January and May [compared with 2019],” said a spokesperson from the Paris tourist board. In the summer months, Russian arrivals in the French capital – one of the most visited cities in Europe – are expected to increase by less than 1 percent. 

Since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, it has become much harder for Russians to travel to popular holiday destinations in the European Union. Getting travel visas approved is more expensive and less straightforward, Russian air carriers have been banned from flying over or into the EU, and Russian oligarchs can no longer land their jets in some places.   

There is also the prospect of a hostile welcome for Russian tourists; a little more than a year since the invasion of Ukraine, the public perception of Russia throughout EU countries is largely that of “an adversary”, according to a multi-nation poll conducted in January.  

Yet millions of Russians are still traveling abroad. Some 22.5 million overseas trips were taken by Russian tourists in 2022, up from 19.2 million in 2021, with Turkey the leading destination. 

And Russian holidaymakers are now beating a path to non-Western destinations in record numbers instead of Europe.  

Changing destinations

Among those nations that have seen the biggest boom in Russian visitors are Thailand, the UAE, Turkey, the Maldives and Egypt.  

Thailand, especially, is poised to “benefit significantly from the EU’s ban on Russian travel as the market is forced to change its preferred destinations”, according to a report from business intelligence provider GlobalData.  

Russia ranked 14th in international tourism with expenditures at around $11.4 billion in 2021, according to Statista.   

And countries around the world are keen to claim a share of that market. Sri Lanka, Morocco and Thailand plan to open direct flight paths with Russia to facilitate travel while India, Myanmar and Oman recently held talks with Russia to discuss increasing tourism. 

Iran signed an agreement with Russia on Friday to boost mutual tourism cooperation, just days after Cuba signed a tourism development deal aiming to increase the number of Russian visitors to up to 500,000 a year.   

For some countries, boosting Russian tourism is a way to help balance economic ties with Russia. Turkey is one of the world’s largest consumers of Russian energy, and its tourism industry is largely reliant on Russian holidaymakers. Its tourism sector has remained largely unaffected by war in Ukraine. It “did not impose sanctions on Russia, so it has become the No. 1 destination for Russian tourists”, says Faruk Balli, professor at the School of Economics and Finance at Massey University in New Zealand.     

But in Cyprus and Greece, a lack of Russian tourists – who typically represent a large percentage of overall visitors – has affected the economy and prompted a rethink of tourism models.  

Luring tourists despite sanctions

Some 4.6 million Russians visited Turkey in 2022, more than any other foreign country. But it is not only a destination in its own right – as Russians can no longer fly directly to the EU, Istanbul has emerged as a key layover for holidaymakers and business travellers en route to Europe. 

Although fewer Russian travellers are visiting EU countries, the impact is not being felt too keenly in Paris. “Russian visitors typically represent one percent of all tourists,” a spokesperson for the Paris tourist office said.  

Larger losses may be felt in Russia itself. The number of foreign visitors to Russia fell by 96.1% in 2022 compared with figures from before the Covid pandemic in 2019, according to the Association of Tour Operators of Russia.  

Since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, demand for travel to Russia has fallen among both EU and US tourists. Western sanctions have also complicated travel to Russia through flight restrictions and the impossibility of using Visa and Mastercards issued by foreign banks. 

The Russian government is promoting domestic tourism to revitalise the sector, while also stepping up efforts to court international visitors. Plans are under way to coordinate the Mir Russian payment system with the Indian equivalent RuPay and to waive Russian visa requirements for visitors from some Arab and Latin American countries. 

The return of Chinese tour groups in February 2023, after pandemic travel restrictions were lifted, is also being touted as a sign that Russia remains a thriving tourist destination. Russian state media has reported that the numbers of Chinese visitors to Russia could return to pre-pandemic levels within three years.