Russia (bbabo.net), - The popularity of Moscow and St. Petersburg during the holidays on February 23 and March 8 this year has decreased by about a third compared to last year. This was told by representatives of the tourism industry. Instead of two capitals, Russian tourists flocked to Irkutsk, Kaliningrad and Istanbul.
Anti-COVID restrictions do little to deter tourists, moreover, there are more open foreign destinations. Now many of those who were going on a trip have already booked flights and tours, representatives of the tourism market say. Short weekend tours are still in demand, but interest has shifted to more distant destinations and longer vacations. Some tourists combine holidays and increase the duration of the holiday, Anex Tour notes. On tours in Russia, tourists will go to ski resorts - Krasnaya Polyana, Sheregesh or southern resorts.
You can buy a ten-day tour to celebrate February 23 in Sochi or the Crimea with breakfast for about 26-28 thousand rubles for two people with air travel, according to the Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR).
Independent tourists have also become more interested in lesser-known destinations. Although Moscow, St. Petersburg and Sochi traditionally lead in requests for February 23, compared to 2021, the capital has lost almost 30% of demand, Elena Shelekhova, a representative of the OneTwoTrip travel planning service, notes. Traveling to Simferopol and Yekaterinburg became 20% less interesting. At the same time, the popularity of Kaliningrad increased by 50% and that of Irkutsk by 40%.
On March 8, the trend is the same. Decreased popularity of Moscow. But tourists have also lost interest in southern destinations, although in March it is already sunny and warm there. The number of requests for flights to Sochi and Krasnodar decreased by 25%, and to Mineralnye Vody - by 40%. Meanwhile, among the most popular destinations are Rostov-on-Don, Murmansk. Analysts of the travel service "Tutu.ru" provide similar data.
Travelers are reoriented to Kaliningrad, Chelyabinsk, and also to Istanbul. Demand for Turkey among independent tourists on March 8 doubled. In addition, some Russian travelers will fly to Baku and Yerevan during the holidays.
Flights across Russia on February 23 and March 8 cost an average of 5-7 thousand rubles per passenger one way, and tours - 26-28 thousand rubles for two with a flight
The cost of a flight within the country is quite comparable with the most popular foreign destinations.
Tourists buy tickets to Moscow on average for 5.2 thousand rubles per person one way, in Sochi - for 6 thousand rubles. Flights to Yekaterinburg, Murmansk, Ufa cost about the same. Air travel to St. Petersburg, Rostov-on-Don, Kaliningrad, Mineralnye Vody is cheaper - up to 5 thousand rubles per person one way. The most expensive trip to the Far East. The average check for a trip to Irkutsk is 11 thousand rubles, and to Krasnoyarsk - 7.8 thousand rubles per person one way.
You can also fly abroad at reasonable prices. A flight to Istanbul costs an average of about 7 thousand rubles per person one way. Tourists buy tickets to Yerevan for an average of 5.7 thousand rubles, and in Baku - for 8 thousand rubles.
According to Tutu.ru, about 12-13% of all travelers will go abroad at the end of February. For the weekend from March 5 to March 8, the share of foreign bookings is still slightly lower and is at the level of 8-9%. But analysts explain this by the fact that tourists still prefer to buy tickets abroad one to two weeks before departure.
Organized tourists also prefer to act. An increase in the number of applications for foreign tours is expected by mid-February, according to Anex Tour. The choice of destinations this year has become wider, so the list of the most popular countries has also changed. Zanzibar and the Maldives gave way to Egypt, the Dominican Republic, the United Arab Emirates and Vietnam. Cuba is also in demand.
Closer to the holidays, the ratio of popularity of various countries may change, but Turkey will be the leader, as it was last year.
The most affordable tours to Istanbul for 10 nights can be bought for 43 thousand rubles for two with a flight and breakfast. But foreign holidays are becoming more expensive. Compared to the pre-pandemic period of 2020, the average prices for ten-day tours with a flight at the end of February increased by 40-80%, ATOR points out.
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