Europe has missed one-third of Russian tourists – Vedomosti

In I quarter of this year, Europe has adopted a third less of Russian tourists than the year before, according to a report by the European Tourism Commission (European Travel Commission , ETC). This is the total figure for the whole of Europe, for individual countries the situation is different, explained the representative of the Commission. However, according to the report, the Russians missed the majority of European countries, for example, is usually popular among Russians Finland lost half of tourists from Germany – a third, Spain – around 20%. The increase in tourist flow from Russia recorded only Montenegro and Romania.

The exact number of arrivals from Russia has calculated, said a representative of the ETS.

The difference in numbers is understandable: most of the period, which compares the data for the I quarter 2015 – this time before Russia annexed the Crimea and began the acute phase of the Ukrainian crisis, analysts warn ETC. In the future, the difference would be less confident they are.

The demand of Russians to travel abroad and in particular in Europe began to fall right in the middle of I quarter 2014, somewhere in February, so we can say that the crisis in whereas the tourism industry has already begun, he disagrees press secretary of the Russian Union of Travel Industry Irina Tyurin. The tour operator segment began with the fall of 20-30% by the end of the year has reached 70-80%, she says.

After the successful launch of I quarter 2014 the second Russian tourist flow sleep by 6%, the analysts wrote in the October survey ETC ‘European tourism and the Crimean crisis. ”

In III quarter there has been a recovery in demand, but it still remained at a much lower level than in 2013. Then the analysts Commission were tuned slightly more optimistic at the end of 2015 they expected decline in tourist flow from Russia by 10% and a recovery in demand in 2016 is now forecast, such that the results of 2015 the number of Russian travelers in Europe will decline by 11.5% to 27.7 million people, said a representative of ETC.

The scope of tourism are reduced to the extent that, both because of falling oil prices and the ruble Russians reduced comprehensive income: Foreign travel is now costing them much more expensive than a trip to Russia, the authors of the report, ETC. However, since January, the ruble grew up, and oil prices although twice lower than they were a year ago, but at least it is no longer falling, analysts wrote the commission.

Economy – an important but not the only reason for the reluctance of people to go on vacation in Europe: there is also a geopolitical reason – Russia’s relations with specific European countries, to the report, for example, income and resorts of Cyprus Turkey, which kept neutral in the conflict between the EU and Russia, might be affected by this year less. And Greece, which has become increasingly deal with Russia could benefit from it some advantages for its tourism industry.

Some tourists actually began to think where to spend the money – in Europe or the Russian resorts, confirms a representative Tez Tour Nikolai Korzon. Added to them law enforcement officers who are banned from traveling abroad, he added. But in April 2015, when the ruble began to strengthen, the market there has been a recovery in demand: the resorts of Crimea and Krasnodar region still can not compete with foreign offerings in terms of price / performance, recognizes Korzon.