Russian tourists named the countries they like to return to

According to a survey of the tourist service Aviasales, in which 11 thousand people took part, the most popular country among “returning” Russian tourists is Turkey, a quarter of respondents chose it. Moreover, more than half of independent tourists choose Istanbul for their holidays, and 40% of all airline ticket bookings for 2019 were for beach holiday.

Egypt is in second place, 17% of Russian travelers return to this country. "Despite the fact that tourists have to travel to Hurghada or Sharm El Sheikh with changes in Istanbul, Vienna, Rome or Paris, the demand for this country is comparable to the demand for Poland or Croatia. Travelers choose Egypt for "sea, sun, beach and low prices," said Janis Dzenis, Aviasales PR Director.

“12% of respondents voted for Georgia and Thailand. Russians are not confused by the lack of direct links with Georgia. Moreover, some tourists admitted that they are planning to spend New Year's holidays there or have already planned a ski trip for January and February. And Thailand remains a popular destination every year and is one of the five popular winter routes," noted Dzenis.

Another 11% chose Italy for the second trip. “Someone likes shopping and exploring architectural attractions, someone flies there for a beach holiday, and someone for a ski trip. In any case, every tourist finds interesting activities for himself in this country and is ready to return to Italy again and again," said the expert.

The rating also included Spain (10%) - due to nature, local food and museums, the Czech Republic (8%), as well as Finland (7%).