Tens of thousands of Russians have begun booking tours to Turkey, said Maya Lomidze, executive director of the Association of Tour Operators (ATOR), on Wednesday, July 29.
“Of these, Turkey is definitely a tourist destination, and we already see the activity of our tourists, which began immediately after the announcement that flights would open. And the pace of booking pleases: the number of people wishing to travel to the resorts is increasing day by day. In total, these are tens of thousands of people, despite the fact that there are not many departure airports so far, ”she told reporters.
According to her, a two-week quarantine stops Russians from traveling to the UK, and it is winter and low season in Tanzania. Lomidze also noted that Turkey will open to tourists in two stages: from August 1 – Istanbul and Ankara, and from August 10 – resorts, with most Russian tourists booking trips to Turkey for the period after August 10.
In addition, Lomidze said that another opening tourist destination – Tanzania – was “a breakthrough last year” after charter flights appeared there.
“Out of the total tourist flow of 6 thousand people who visited Tanzania, 5 thousand were transported on charters in the last quarter and a half of 2019. Tanzania is also potentially a charter destination, which in the current circumstances can be considered as an alternative to the popular countries of the Caribbean or Southeast Asia, “Lomidze added.
On July 24, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin announced the resumption of international flights in Russia from August 1. At the first stage, three directions will open: Tanzania, Turkey and Great Britain.
On July 29, Cuban authorities also announced their desire to receive Russian tourists from September 15.