Tour operators are registering this spring growth in demand for package tours to Cyprus. Uncertainty BREXIT and the bankruptcy of the Germania low-cost airline led in the early spring of 2019 to a reduction in the number of tourists coming to Cyprus from its main entry markets - the UK (-6.9%) and Germany (-37%).  

Turkish Antalya, for the first time in April, has hosted almost a million foreign tourists. “We didn’t expect it ourselves”: this is how the Turkish media describe the reaction of the Antalya authorities commenting the results of April on the inbound tourism market. The resort was visited by 977,500 foreign guests (+ 38% compared with April 2018).

Tour operator New Travelers, specializing in dynamic packages based on regular transportation and sending tourists to 24 countries in Europe, Middle East and Asia, launched sales of dynamic package tours to Turkey and Europe with flights on the basis of regular flights of Pobeda Airlines.  As the company told, dynamic packages are available online for purchase on the website of the tour operator, as well as at travel agencies of Moscow and regions.

Turkey remains the most popular destination of outbound tourism in the 2019 season with a large margin from other countries. The participants of the market are relatively satisfied with the results of the early booking: more than 50% of the volume was sold. According to TUI Russia, as of the beginning of April, 30% of the planned volume to Turkey was sold. 

The Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR) named Russian tour operators leading in terms of the number of tourists sent to Turkey. In total, these companies served 4.7 million Russian citizens in the country in 2018. “The leader among tour operators in terms of the number of tourists sent to Turkey in 2018 was Coral Travel (with Sunmar sub-brand).

Despite the fact that Turkey is the undisputed favorite of summer among outbound destinations, the rise in price of package tours to Turkish resorts makes the Russians partially change their preferences for holidays in this country. Demand has shifted to the edges of the season, the average duration of travel is reduced, cheap Alanya has grown. 

According to the results of the early booking campaign, Cyprus entered the TOP-5 destinations of the summer of 2019 with the fifth position from TEZ Tour operator. The company management believes that demand has grown largely due to the expansion of the concept of food in many hotels in Cyprus to All Inclusive.

As part of the spring-summer navigation, AZUR air is expanding its flight program to Turkey. It has departures from Moscow, St. Petersburg and another 37 Russian cities along four routs – to Antalya, Alanya (Gazipasa), Dalaman and Bodrum. 

Pobeda has opened a ticket sale for the new flights to Turkey from cities where charter programs are widely represented. The flights from Perm to Antalya are scheduled twice a week from the end of May; airplanes from Kazan will start flying from June with the same frequency. It is reported by the press service of the carrier on April 11. 

Despite the rise in prices of 30% and more, Turkey remains the leader in sales for the “earlier booking” for the upcoming summer. This was reported by representatives of the largest agency networks. 

Russian tourist flow to Turkey in January-February 2019 grew by 34% in annual terms, while almost 40% of Russian tourists visited Antalya, and about 60% of the flow came from Istanbul.

In the summer season of 2019, the tour operator ANEX Tour expands its regional charter program to Turkey. For some of new cities of departure the direct charter flights to Turkey are arraigned for the first time. 

“The demand for tours to Turkey for the summer season 2019 within early booking program increased an average by 20-25% compared to last year, despite rising prices for tour packages”, told the press secretary of the Russian Union of Travel Industry (RST) Irina Tyurina. 

In the first two months of 2019 Russian arrivals at the Turkish resort grew by 68% against the same period last year. According to the data of Antalya International Airport, over January-February 2019 more than 292 thousand foreign tourists arrived at the resort. This is almost 54% more than in the same period of 2018.

At the conference "Spring-Summer 2019", which Coral Travel tour operator held in Moscow, Turkish hoteliers noted that sales on the Russian market for the summer are not as intensive as they want. Some luxury hotels are ready to prolong the action of early booking. 

Russian tour operators made a forecast on the volume of air transportation and tourist flow to the main Turkish beach resort in the summer of 2019. According to the experts, adjustments for the flight programs from Russia cannot be avoided: tours to Turkey are becoming more expensive with each passing month. 

In January 2019 Turkey was visited by 34% more of Russian citizens than it was a year ago. This is an amazing result for a low season. Expanded charter programs of tour operators for the New Year holidays in Antalya and charters to the ski resorts of Turkey led Russia in the TOP-5 of the main entry markets for Turkey - on the fifth line. In January 2019, Turkey hosted 91,720 citizens of the Russian Federation. 

The interest of Russian tourists to Tunisia is increasing. However, the experts’ opinion on the growth in demand is different. So, the majority believes the number of sells have increased by 10–20% compared to last year’s figures, while Biblio-Globus notes 150% growth of sales on early booking stage.

The active booking of tours in Antalya by Russians for the New Year holidays allowed the Turkish resort to sharply revive the "low season" in January. And the Russian market once again confirms its leading position of source market in Turkey. 

Pegas Touristik tour operator made a trick to circumvent the ban, launching a flight from Moscow with a stopover in Antalya. The flight Moscow - Antalya - Hurghada has transported 200 Russian tourists to the Egyptian resort last week. The route was organized by Pegas Touristik tour operator. 

“The price of a weekly tour from Moscow to Belek (Turkey), for the beginning of June, in 5* hotels is at the level of 140 thousand Rubles (1,869 Euros) for two persons. It is a bit cheaper than a similar tour to Halkidiki (Greece). And equivalent to the cost of a tour to Rhodes.” said the representatives of the tourist retail. 

Already at the early booking stage Tunisia shows a rapid increase in sales compared with last year. This was a signal for some players to expand their flight charter programs to this country. According to tour operators, the demand for tours to Tunisia for the season-2019 has increased significantly: participants report that sales growth from 30% to several times.