The number of trips of Russian tourists to Europe increased by 15-20% this summer

The relative stability of regulations and logistics for flights through third countries led to a 15-20% increase in the number of Russian tourist trips to Europe this summer, according to Artur Muradyan, Vice President of International Tourism at Association of Tour Operators (ATOR) and CEO of tour operator Space Travel.

The main beneficiaries of this growth were Greece, Spain, Italy, and France. In terms of traditional tourism organized through tour operators, Greece leads the way.

«Nevertheless, it's impossible to talk about mass tourist flow to Europe. Even if we take Greece, the leading tourist destination, into account, 16,100 Russians visited it in 2024, according to the Bank of Greece, while before the pandemic, tourist flow from Russia was 700-800,000 per year. In other words, we're seeing a 40-50-fold decrease», - he added.

Istanbul is the main transfer hub for Russian tourists traveling to Europe, to a lesser extent travelers fly through the United Arab Emirates and the countries of the Caucasus.

It should also be noted that currently five EU countries (Greece, Italy, Spain, France, Hungary) have refused to tighten the rules for issuing visas to Russians, opposing the proposal of Brussels.

Photo: Crete by N. Klimenok