May 2026 analysis from Baginet expresses strong interest in resuming UAE sales immediately after restrictions are lifted. A total of 148 interviews were conducted by Baginet team with managers and general directors of tour agencies and tour operators across 8 countries and 12 cities. The geographic breakdown is as follows: Russia (52.5%: Chelyabinsk, St. Petersburg, Donetsk, Moscow, Yaroslavl, Ekaterinburg); Kazakhstan (22.5%), Azerbaijan (12.5%), Uzbekistan (12.5%), Belarus (5%), Armenia (5%).
UAE – temporarily closed, but high latent demand
In Russia, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan, the sale of package tours to the UAE remains officially prohibited or strongly restricted. In Belarus and Azerbaijan, there is no formal ban, but sales are effectively paused due to safety concerns and the absence of regular flight programs. Despite this, almost all respondents emphasise that the UAE was a top-selling destination before the Middle East conflict, accounting for up to 40% of total sales in some Russian agencies. The consensus is that sales will recover quickly once the destination reopens, as pent-up demand is high and the UAE remains a visa-free, direct-flight destination with a strong price-to-quality ratio.
Alternative destinations dominating current sales
With the UAE closed, tourists are shifting to:
- Turkey – mentioned by nearly every respondent as the top alternative
- Egypt – strong demand across all markets
- Southeast Asia – Vietnam, Thailand, and (less frequently) the Maldives
- Europe – very limited; only for clients with valid Schengen visas. Greece, Cyprus, and Montenegro were previously popular but now suffer from high visa costs, lack of direct flights, and logistical difficulties.
This sales analysis is derived from de-identified data collected during meetings conducted by Baginet, a creative advertising and consulting agency specializing in tourism representation and marketing for international hotels and destinations. A core part of Baginet's work involves direct, face-to-face engagement with the travel agent community. On average, Baginet's team conducts over 100 face-to-face meetings with travel agencies across Russia and the CIS every month.
