Loss of Transit Routes and Reorientation of Russian Tourists

As a result of the military conflict in the Middle East, Russians lost approximately a third of the transit routes that passed through the Persian Gulf countries.

In 2025, between 1.8 million and 2.1 million Russians could potentially use transit routes abroad. Of these, approximately 650,000–700,000 (or roughly a third) chose airports in the UAE and neighboring countries for transfers, including short layovers.

According to Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR), passenger traffic to the Persian Gulf countries has increased over the past ten years, specifically to the UAE by 4.6 times, Bahrain by 2 times, and Qatar by 1.5 times. Currently, Russians still have access to transit flights through 15 countries: Russia maintains direct flights to Azerbaijan, Algeria, Armenia, Vietnam, Georgia, Egypt, Jordan, Kazakhstan, China, Morocco, Serbia, Thailand, Turkey, Uzbekistan, and Ethiopia.

Russian tourists are shifting their travels from the Middle East to Turkey, Egypt, and Thailand. According to ATOR, these destinations are among the top three most popular choices for Russian tourists who were unable to travel to the UAE and neighboring countries in the region.

Amid the conflict in the Middle East, tour operators are recording growing demand for China and are also ready to offer other Asian and African countries with direct flights.