The way to Europe for Russian tourists has become easier

After the resumption of direct flights with Georgia, the way to Europe for Russian tourists has become easier, but not cheaper. Experts came to this opinion in a conversation with BFM.ru.

“Flying through Yerevan and Baku to Tbilisi is cheaper than direct flights,” explained Dmitry Arutyunov, general director of the Art-Tour tour operator. “There are rarely flights in June for 50,000 rubles, prices mostly reach 60,000 rubles, which is more expensive than a flight to Dubai.”

Representatives of the tourism industry believe that such prices will not lead to excitement and thousands of Russians visiting European countries. At present, flights between Tbilisi and Moscow are operated with no more than 50 percent loading. In turn, Roman Bobylev, an expert of the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation for the protection of tourists’ rights, noted that due to visa restrictions and problems with acquiring air tickets, trips to Europe through Georgia will be in demand only among experienced domestic tourists.

Moreover, according to the forecasts of the specialist, 90 percent of Russians will go on vacation to Turkey in the summer of 2023. The remaining small volumes will be distributed among the UAE, Thailand, Maldives, Egypt and Cuba.

Earlier in May, it became known that Tbilisi International Airport is not yet ready to become a transit hub for flights of Russian tourists to European cities, since it does not meet the necessary standards for this. So the situation with the trips of Russians to Europe through Georgia was assessed by Georgian Airways.