Thailand and Sochi are among the most popular holiday destinations for the New Year

“Thailand is the leader for the second year among the most popular abroad destinations among Russian tourists; Sochi is the leader in Russia”, - informed Maya Lomidze, Executive Director of the Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR). "Thailand is on the first place this year, which is explained by the fact that this is a visa-free destination with democratic prices. Plus, the tourists fly there to rest not only from Moscow, but also from cities beyond the Urals. Last year the picture was the same. Absence of Egypt seriously affects on the ranking of the most popular destinations", - she said. According to M. Lomidze, UAE, Vietnam, Israel and Dominican Republic are among the five most popular New Year’s destinations. "Despite the fact that the last few weeks there are problems in Israel and there is a decline of the volume of bookings for the New Year holidays, it is still in the TOP 5 countries for the New Year", - the expert added. She said that among the popular destinations of the domestic market Sochi area is the leader. On the other Russian directions, according to her, there is a decrease of the volume of bookings. Petersburg, Moscow, Kazan, the Golden Ring are sold worse than a year ago. According to ATOR, this situation is connected with deteriorating of economic situation within the country.