A New Year’s tour to Turkey or Egypt costs Russians about 100 thousand rubles, and right after the holidays the price of travel packages tends to drop sharply. This assessment comes from Dilya Demidenko, head of TravelBelka Online Tours, who spoke with socialbites.ca to share his observations.
According to Demidenko, holiday periods tend to push prices up, and as the calendar advances toward the date of departure, the cost climbs even higher. The window for snagging a budget deal around the New Year is narrow, and prospective travelers should plan accordingly.
He added, “Don’t count on last-minute New Year deals. If you want a reasonably priced option now, you can book a two-week package to Turkey or Egypt starting on December 30 or 31 for roughly 95 to 105 thousand rubles.”
For travelers seeking warmer seas, Demidenko suggests considering other destinations such as the United Arab Emirates, Thailand, Sri Lanka, India, or the Maldives instead of Turkey and Egypt.
“During New Year dates, a two-person tour to the UAE is around 145 thousand rubles, and an 11-night stay in New Year’s Thailand could reach about 203 thousand rubles,” he noted, highlighting the value differences among popular winter getaways.
Demidenko explained that after the New Year’s Eve period, the prices for these package tours typically fall by about 6 to 7 thousand rubles immediately, and the savings grow substantially once the holidays are over, with reductions in the range of 40 to 50 thousand rubles in some cases.
In the first days of January, the UAE package often drops to around 136 thousand rubles, with further decreases possible after the holidays. A similar trend applies to Thailand: a January departure might cost about 160 thousand rubles for a two-person trip, while post-holiday prices could bring that total down to roughly 120 thousand rubles.
A note from industry observers indicates that a relatively small share of Russian hotel reservations were made abroad in 2022, with about 7.6% of all bookings placed outside the country, underscoring how travel patterns shift with economic and seasonal factors.