Among foreign destinations, Russian travelers now have access to tours in several former Soviet republics. Sergey Romashkin, general manager of the Dolphin tour operator, told socialbites.ca that the requested destinations are Armenia, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, and Georgia.
People from Russia are traveling more to these countries, and demand has risen. Romashkin notes that this uptick may coincide with an increase in departures from Russia, and that not all who are traveling are tourists.
Intourist informed socialbites.ca that demand for holidays in Armenia has grown recently, attributing the boost to the lifting of covid restrictions. The press service said Russians are actively booking flights for May holidays, but sales remain unsettled due to shifting schedules and occasional flight cancellations.
Romashkin regularly organizes trips to Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Uzbekistan, and the tour operator is considering launching tours to Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.
Anex Tour currently offers tours to Azerbaijan and Armenia. The press service noted that demand is modest but there is interest in these destinations.
A two-person Armenia sightseeing tour departing in May starts at 85,400 rubles for three nights, flight included and all meals provided. A ski tour costs 87,000 rubles for four nights, with flight and all meals included, while treatment holidays begin at 137,500 rubles for seven nights with plane travel, daily meals, and treatment included. The program allows visits to Yerevan, Jermuk, and Tsaghkadzor for a ski holiday. A five-night Azerbaijan tour for two, including meals, is priced at 100,900 rubles, with land-only travel currently offered.
What do tour and ticket reservation services say?
Evgeny Ginzburg, Marketing Director of the Level.Travel online tour search and booking service, stated that only tours to Abkhazia resorts are currently in high demand among neighboring countries. They accounted for 5% of sales in March, a 3% increase from the previous year. Tour prices start from 23,000 rubles for two people for seven days, including round trip, hotel transfer, insurance, and a guesthouse stay with no meals.
There is modest demand for tours to Armenia, representing less than 1% of sales, with prices starting at 79,000 rubles for a seven-day trip for two people, including round trip, transfers, insurance, and a 3-star hotel with breakfast. Ginzburg added that tours to Azerbaijan, Belarus, and Uzbekistan are still chosen by a small number of travelers. The cost of a trip to Azerbaijan in March begins at 112,000 rubles for seven days for two, including round-trip flights, transfers, insurance, and a 5-star hotel without meals. Holidays in Belarus run about 51,000 rubles for two for seven days, including round-trip flights, transfers, insurance, and sanatorium accommodations with meals. Tours to Uzbekistan start from 107,000 rubles for seven days for two, covering round-trip flights, transfers, insurance, and a 4-star hotel with breakfast.
According to OneTwoTrip, a travel planning service, the ten most popular destinations among the former USSR since early March include Armenia (21.2% of other foreign flight bookings), Kyrgyzstan (6.4%), Azerbaijan (5%), Uzbekistan (5.2%), Tajikistan (3.7%), Georgia (3.6%), Kazakhstan (3.3%), and Belarus (2.3%). Elena Shelekhova, the head of the service, noted that demand has grown most in Kazakhstan (64%) and Georgia (38%) compared with February.
What are the challenges facing the tourism industry?
Romashkin explains that restrictions on air travel are a major hurdle. Fewer flights and higher prices complicate trips, while the ruble has fallen against multiple currencies. Some countries still enforce covid-era rules, including PCR tests and vaccination requirements. Payment systems like Visa and Mastercard can face outages abroad as well.
He adds that tourist flow is recovering slowly. The travel economy means visitors cannot pay more than 50-60% of what they paid a month ago. In this moment, tourism faces pressure and travelers adjust their priorities accordingly.
The Anex Tour team likewise notes that external conditions heavily influence the industry. In recent years, there has been a trend toward destinations that are easily accessible to Russian travelers. Right now many Russians prefer the Krasnodar region resorts and domestic urban excursions, including St. Petersburg, Kaliningrad, and Kazan, among others.
Sources and data cited here come from industry insiders and travel-planning platforms, reflecting recent shifts in demand and pricing across the region.