ATOR asked allow sales of package tours to the UAE

On April 30, the Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR) officially submitted a request to the Ministry of Economic Development to allow tour operators to resume selling package tours to the United Arab Emirates and other Middle Eastern countries. This was announced by ATOR Executive Director Maya Lomidze.

According to Lomidze, discussions on the matter are already underway. ATOR has sent a corresponding letter, but the final decision depends on the position of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as it was the Foreign Ministry that initiated the previous restrictive recommendations. The Ministry of Economic Development is in contact with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and awaits its signal to lift the previous warnings.

The UAE has remained one of the most popular outbound tourism destinations for Russians for many years, consistently ranking in the top three (often second only to Turkey or Egypt). In 2024–2025, the flow of trips exceeded 2 million per year. The main reasons for its popularity are the large number of direct flights, visa-free travel, a combination of beach holidays, shopping, entertainment, excursions and the opportunity to travel year-round (warm seas in winter and discounts in summer).

Photo by Natalia Klimenok