Russian tourism to Europe rebounds despite ongoing tensions

The consequence of Russia's invasion of Ukraine was sanctions that also significantly impacted tourism. European countries closed their airspace to Russian planes, and some of them wholly banned entry to citizens of the Russian Federation. However, this is slowly changing.

Two years ago, outbound tourism from Russia changed dramatically. European destinations were no longer accessible, and Russians mainly opted for Egypt, Turkey, or Thailand.

This does not mean that they were absent from Europe - not all countries banned their entry, and those who could afford it (which requires more financial resources) reached beloved destinations in ways other than direct flights.

According to the Russian Union of Travel Industry, the demand for summer holidays in European countries increased by 30 per cent in 2024 compared to 2023.

Seventeen Schengen zone countries are currently issuing visas to Russians.

- This year, we are observing a growing demand for holidays in Europe - up to 30 per cent compared to 2023. The increase concerns Greece, Hungary, Cyprus, Montenegro, Italy, Spain, and France. These figures are, of course, significantly different from those before the pandemic – said Dmitry Gorin, vice president of RZPT. - In 2019, we received as many as four million visas, while last year only 449,000 - he added.

The expert urged tourists planning trips to Europe to prepare a full package of documents earlier.

- Reservations to popular destinations such as Spain, France, or Italy are now being made one or two months in advance. The refusal rate for visa issuance is about 10 percent of all applications – he said.

He added that organising group transport is very helpful for trips to Europe.

- The most expensive year for flights to Europe was definitely 2022. Currently, through travel agencies, trips can be booked for £480–£580 for a round trip. Of course, more time needs to be allocated as connections are not direct – said Gorin.