ATOR: incoming tourism to Russia reduced by 99,5% in 2022

According to the results of the three quarters of 2022, the inbound tourist flow to Russia amounted to 147,4 thousand trips of foreign citizens with a purpose of tourism. This is 99,5% less than in the same period in 2019 and even 16% less than in covid 2021.

As per the results of 9 months of 2022, Germany is in the first place in terms of tourist flow to Russia with 18,3 thousand visits. For comparison, for 9 months of 2019 German citizens visited Russia 465 thousand times with tourism purposes. The tourist flow from Turkey is in the second place – 15,8 thousand visits. On the third line is Iran with 12 thousand arrivals.

Taking into account the traditionally “low” fourth quarter for inbound tourism, by the end of 2022 incoming tourist flow to Russia may amount to about 180 thousand visits.

Group inbound tourism to Russia in 2022 existed, according to leading tour operators, only “at the level of statistical error.”

The prospects for the resumption of any mass inbound tourism to Russia are associated by tour operators with three factors:

- removal of covid restrictions for travel of Chinese citizens abroad (before the pandemic, China was the main entry market for Russia).
- the launch of an e-visa and the introduction of visa-free regimes for citizens from the list of "friendly countries", among which, in addition to China, the highest hopes are for India and Arab countries.
-finding a solution with the possibility of non-cash payment for goods and services by foreigners in Russia (the launch of prepaid cards).