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Holland America launches pole-to-pole cruise

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TTR WEEKLY
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Westerdam in Sydney

SINGAPORE, 28 April 2023: Holland America Line will sail what is believed to be the first ever Grand Voyage “Pole-to-Pole” roundtrip from the US in 2025.

Details of the new 133-day sailing and a simultaneous 124-day 2025 Grand World Voyage were announced last week.  

Westerdam in Sydney.

With the Grand Voyage: Pole-to-Pole and Grand World Voyage both departing in January 2025, this will be the first time Holland America Line offers two Grand Voyages of more than 120 days simultaneously.

The Grand Voyage: Pole-to-Pole aboard Volendam enables cruisers to visit five continents on a journey that travels south-to-north, while the Grand World Voyage aboard Zuiderdam covers six continents on an east-to-west route, each conveniently sailing roundtrip from a US homeport.

2025 Grand Voyage: Pole-to-Pole Highlights — Volendam

  • 133 days. Departing 25 January 2025, roundtrip from Fort Lauderdale.
  • Follows a south-north-south route through the Panama Canal, down along the west coast of South America to Antarctica, and then up along Argentina and Brazil to the heart of the Amazon River. The ship then crosses the Atlantic Ocean to Africa, sails north to Europe and up to the North Cape before heading west across the northern Atlantic Ocean via Iceland and Greenland and finally down the eastern shores of North America.
  • Pole to Pole: Down south, Volendam spends four days of scenic cruising in Antarctica and up north, the ship crosses the Arctic Circle to the North Cape.
  • 68 total ports across five continents and 28 countries.
  • 8 overnight calls: Fuerte Amador, Panama; Callao (Lima), Peru; Buenos, Aires, Argentina; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Barcelona, Spain; Lisbon, Portugal; and Reykjavik, Iceland.
  • Memorable Moments: Panama Canal transit, Cape Horn, Antarctica, Falkland Islands, exploring the Amazon River, Strait of Gibraltar, Norwegian fjords, North Cape, Iceland and Greenland.

2025 Grand World Voyage Highlights — Zuiderdam

  • 124 days. Departing 4 January 2025, roundtrip from Fort Lauderdale.
  • Transits the Panama Canal and makes way to Easter Island before crossing the South Pacific to Australia. Explores the Great Barrier Reef en route to Indonesia and Sri Lanka, then sails south to Cape Town, South Africa, by way of Seychelles, back up along the eastern coast of Africa, through the Suez Canal to Portugal before crossing the Atlantic Ocean.
  • 46 total ports in 32 countries across six continents.
  • 9 overnight calls: Callao (two nights); Easter Island; Papeete, Tahiti; Sydney, Australia; Singapore; Cape Town; Mombasa, Kenya; Safaga, Egypt; and Barcelona.
  • Seven late-night departures: Manta, Ecuador; Seychelles; Cape Town and Durban, South Africa; Aqaba, Jordan; Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy; and Gibraltar, UK.
  • Memorable Moments: Panama Canal transit, two nights at Callao allowing time to visit Machu Picchu, Easter Island, scenic cruising in the Great Barrier Reef, two full days in Cape Town, the opportunity to visit Petra from Jordan and experience Luxor from Safaga.

Early Booking Bonus

Guests who book the full 133-day Grand Voyage: Pole-to-Pole or 124-day Grand World Voyage by 3 June 2024, receive onboard spending credits and amenities valued at up to USD8,800 (pole-to-pole) or USD8,500 (Grand World Voyage), per person.

Since 20 April, travellers interested in the 2025 Grand Voyage: Pole-to-Pole or 2025 Grand World Voyage can call Holland America Line’s Reservations Desk or a travel advisor to make a deposit Future Cruise Request. Guests with a deposited Future Cruise Request will get priority booking confirmation before the two voyages officially go on sale on 24 May 2023.

Mekong tourism sees recovery signs

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TTR WEEKLY
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SIHANOUKVILLE, 28 April 2023: Cambodia’s Tourism Minister Thong Khon welcomed delegates attending the Mekong Tourism Forum in the southern port city from 25 to 27 April under the theme “Rethinking for Resilience and Digitalisation”.

He opened the event attended by around 250 travel experts from 19 countries, including delegates from the six member countries of the Greater Mekong Subregion (Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam and Thailand). He described the region’s post-Covid-19 tourism recovery as robust, noting that Cambodia welcomed 1.3 million tourists in Q1 2023.

At the opening session on 27 April, he told the audience that new tourism facilities had been completed to improve the travel experience for tourists, and ongoing airport expansion will give the country three new international airports by 2025. Siem Reap’s new airport is due to open later this year.

In her opening remarks at the event, the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office executive director Suvimol Dee Thanasarakij said the region’s tourism industry inspires hope for strong visitor growth in GMS countries and key tourism markets due to the lifting of travel restrictions. She encouraged the industry to “reset and embrace a more sustainable and digitally advanced future.”

Pacific Asia Travel Association chairman Peter Semone’s keynote presentation focused on the pathway for building better and stronger tourism. He told delegates “rethinking tourism for resilience and sustainability” in the GMS should focus on managing and measuring tourism as an integrated ecosystem. He called for “optimizing efficiencies along the tourism value chain; treating tourism workers better; renewing the approach to entrepreneurship and innovation; facilitating the growth and prosperity of micro, small and medium enterprises while empowering communities in tourism.”

MTF 2023 was preceded by the 51st Meeting of the Greater Mekong Subregion Tourism Working Group and the MTCO Board Meeting on 25 April. At the forum’s close, it was announced the MTF 2024 will be held in Lijiang, China, next May.

Xiamen Airlines reinstates Yangon flights

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TTR WEEKLY
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YANGON, Myanmar, 28 April 2023: China’s Xiamen Airlines resumed commercial flights to Myanmar on 26 April, Yangon International Airport reports via its social media posts

Airport officials welcomed the return of Xiamen Airlines flight MF8669 from Xiamen with the customary water cannon salute. The airline carried 152 passengers on board the Boeing 737-800. Xiamen is a port city on China’s southeast coast, across the strait from Taiwan.

Photo credit: Yangon International Airport.

The airline will fly three weekly services on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, departing Xiamen at 1510 and arriving at Yangon International Airport at 1720. The one-way economy fare starts at RMB1811.

The airline is a member of the Sky Team Airline Alliance. It flies the Boeing 787 Dreamliner on long-haul international flights.

How to avoid common travel scams

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TTR WEEKLY
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SINGAPORE, 27 April 2023: Travel experts from Panache Cruises, the UK’s leading provider of luxury cruises, have outlined eight prolific travel scams and have provided tips on how tourists can protect themselves.

Travelling is a great way to explore new places and experience different cultures, but it can also make unprepared tourists vulnerable to scams and fraud.

Photo credit: Pexels

It’s important to keep valuables secure, be cautious with strangers, use official transportation and not fall for “too good to be true” offers to stay safe in a new country.

Before the trip, it’s helpful to research common scams in the area, as knowing what to expect is the best way to avoid getting duped.

Panache Cruises founder and managing director James Cole said: “Some people believe that only naive tourists are taken advantage of when travelling, but as con artists get more cunning, even the most experienced travellers can become victims of their schemes.

“It’s important to familiarise yourself with some of the most universal travel scams to learn from other people’s mistakes and recognise when you’re being conned.

“Besides researching before the trip, you should always keep your valuables close to your body and be cautious with overly-friendly locals trying to gain your trust to lure you into a scam.

“If anything seems suspicious and too good to be true, trust your instincts because it’s better to be safe than sorry.”

Here are Panache Cruises’ eight common travel scams that holidaymakers should look out for:

Taxi overcharging

Never agree to start a ride if the driver tells you that the metre is broken, as you’ll end up getting wildly overcharged. Also, keep an eye on the metre while you’re driving, and if you suspect it is going up faster than usual, then just ask them to pull over and get out.

It’s useful to ask about the average taxi fares from the hotel, use an official taxi provider, and agree on a fare before hiring the driver if they’re not using a metre.

Bump and grab

The easiest way to steal someone’s valuables is to create a diversion so they can be caught off guard. One of the most common pickpocketing tactics is the ‘bump and go’ method, where one of the thieves pretends to accidentally bump into you while the accomplice picks your pocket when you’re distracted.

This is especially likely to happen in busy, bustling areas like tourist attractions and train stations, so be mindful of those locations. Try not to carry all your valuables with you, make sure you have copies of important travel documents and opt for a discreet money belt worn underneath your clothes.

Vehicle hire scams

Be careful when renting a car, motorcycle or jet ski, as the owners can blame you for damage you didn’t cause. They may even take your passport for guarantee and threaten to keep it if you don’t pay for expensive repairs.

Before driving the vehicle, take photos and videos to document its condition to avoid being blamed for something you didn’t do.

Wrong change

If you’re in a country where you’re not familiar with the currency, then watch out for vendors who try to trick their customers by returning less change than they were due.

Before any transaction, calculate how much money you should get back and take the time to count the change.

Closed hotel or attraction

Some untrustworthy taxi drivers make their money by earning commissions from bringing customers to local businesses. They’ll tell you the hotel, tourist attraction or restaurant you’re heading to is temporarily closed for a local holiday or fully booked and recommend taking you to a better alternative that is usually overpriced and low in quality.

If this happens, then insist on going to the place you had originally booked because if it were closed or at capacity, then you wouldn’t have been able to book it in the first place.

Free bracelets

When you visit big European cities, you can expect to encounter scammers who offer to braid you a free friendship bracelet. They’re very quick; before you can say no, they’ve already tied the bracelet around your wrist. They’ll cause a scene if you refuse to pay, which makes polite tourists feel forced to pay to avoid embarrassment.

Don’t get fooled by ‘free’ offers, and don’t let anyone put anything on your body and be firm about it.

ATM scams

Local con artists frequently use credit card skimming to target tourists. Always be careful when someone approaches you by the ATM.

They usually pretend they’re helping you to avoid local bank fees. But, in reality, they want to use a card skimmer device to get your card details and often have an accomplice in the ATM queue who encourages you to do what the scammer says.

Tipping scams

Some restaurants, especially in the US, offer customers suggested tip options on their bills. Make sure to do your own maths and check if the percentage is calculated correctly. Some businesses try to scam tourists, hoping they won’t notice they’ve been overcharged on the tip.

In some places, including the service charge on the bill is expected. They usually don’t mention it, which leaves room for double tipping for tourists who fail to check their bills.

Find out more at https://www.panachecruises.com/

(Source: Panachecruises)

Centara hosts Samui Summer Jazz

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TTR WEEKLY
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SAMUI ISLAND, 27 April 2023: Centara Hotels & Resorts, Thailand’s leading hotel operator, is preparing to celebrate the Grand Finale of Samui Summer Jazz Festival 2023 at the spectacular Centara Reserve Samui with a stunning brunch at Salt Society Beach Bar & Kitchen.

On Sunday, 7 May 2023, jazz lovers are invited to an intimate Vitamin SEA Sunday Brunch at Centara Reserve’s effortlessly cool Salt Society, where tenor sax supremo Alexander Beets, special guest jazz vocalist Zosja El Rhazi, and festival musicians will gather for a sensational afternoon filled with world-class musical entertainment and a delectable array of freshly caught seafood, brunch favourites, pasta, barbecue, salads and more, all set against the breathtaking backdrop of Samui’s famed Chaweng Beach.

Food will be served al fresco at Salt Society Beach Bar & Kitchen from 1230 – 1530. Live music performances are scheduled from 1300  to 1530. The following ticket options are currently available for sale online:

  • Vitamin SEA Brunch plus event ticket, starting from THB2,950 net per person, including soft drinks
  • Event ticket only, starting from THB1,000 net per person, including one  mocktail (15 seat limit)

It is important to note that tickets for this special event are limited.

Organised by SKÅL International Koh Samui with its charity partner, Sisters on Samui [SOS), Samui Summer Jazz Festival 2023 will take place from 2 – 7 May 2023. With tickets selling out last year, this popular six-night event showcases top jazz artists from Europe, South America, USA and Thailand, with a portion of the proceeds being donated to the SOS Samui Children’s Education Fund. Discover more at www.samuisummerjazz.com

Artistic director Khun Koh Mr Saxman commented on the festival, “This is a fantastic cultural collaboration which brings together the crème-de-la-crème of international and Thai jazz artists to create some great music in the sensational setting of Koh Samui.”

To celebrate the festival’s Grand Finale and to book your seat at Centara Reserve Samui’s Vitamin SEA Sunday brunch, please contact [email protected] or call +66 (0) 77 230 500 for more information. Tickets are also available online at Megatix – Summer Samui Jazz 2023

Learn more about Centara Reserve Samui at www.centarahotelsresorts.com/reserve/crs/

Find out more about Centara at www.CentaraHotelsResorts.com

(Source: Centara Hotels & Resorts)

NCLH revamps climate action strategy

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TTR WEEKLY
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SINGAPORE, 27 April 2023: Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. (NYSE: NCLH), a leading global cruise company which operates Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises, recently launched its revamped climate action strategy along with short- and near-term greenhouse gas (“GHG”) targets to support the company’s ambitious pursuit of net zero by 2050.

These actions underscore the company’s robust commitment to decarbonisation as part of its global sustainability programme, Sail & Sustain.

Key components of the company’s new interim GHG reduction targets include:

  • Reduce GHG intensity by 10% by 2026 and 25% by 2030, compared to a 2019 baseline with intensity measured on a per capacity day basis.
  • The targets cover the company’s emissions from its ships, islands and facilities (Scopes 1 & 2) and upstream fuel- and energy-related activities, including well-to-tank emissions (a portion of Scope 3). The targets will capture the full well-to-wake emissions impact of the company’s fuel consumption.
  • Interim targets provide a roadmap to support the company’s existing net zero by 2050 ambition. The scope of this commitment expands to the company’s entire greenhouse gas footprint, including its vast network of suppliers and partners across its value chain.

“We are proud to further refine and strengthen our climate action strategy and commitments including by setting milestone GHG intensity reduction targets which will guide us on our ambitious pursuit of net zero by 2050,” said Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd president and chief executive officer-elect Harry Sommer.

“Every aspect of our business, from shoreside to shipboard, is responsible for doing their part to design, deliver and demonstrate results for decarbonisation. Our board of directors has reinforced this expectation by establishing shared accountability and tying incentives for our entire management team to this critical effort. We also recently took an important step forward on our pursuit of net zero by announcing the modification of two of our future Prima Class newbuilds to accommodate the use of green methanol in the future.”

Sommer continued: “We are also activating and mobilising our full network of team members, ports and destinations, suppliers and partners, and guests to act now and join us on this transformative journey, further amplifying the efforts we could achieve on our own.”

The company’s revamped climate action strategy is centred around three pillars – efficiency, innovation and collaboration.

Efficiency

The focus is on optimising efficiency for its existing fleet, which can immediately impact onboard power consumption and GHG emissions and generate fuel savings. This includes ongoing investments in systems and technologies, such as HVAC system upgrades and waste heat recovery systems, as well as operational enhancements, such as smart itinerary and voyage planning and optimisation of hotel operations. Operational changes require data, education and accountability.

Innovation

Innovating for long-term solutions and technologies, including those that support the ability to operate on green fuels. Since 2022 is the priority. The company has completed tests of biofuel blends on multiple ships, in which a blend of approximately 30% biofuel and 70% marine gas oil has been used. The company believes biodiesel is a viable transition fuel supporting decarbonisation as long-term solutions are tested and scaled.

Longer-term, the company views green methanol as a promising solution and recently announced the modification of Norwegian Cruise Line’s final two Prima Class ships, expected to be delivered in 2027 and 2028, to accommodate the use of green methanol as an alternative fuel source in the future. While additional modifications will be needed to fully enable the use of methanol in addition to traditional marine fuel on these ships, this reinforces the company’s commitment to decarbonisation. The use of green methanol would result in a drastic reduction in emissions, including an up to 95% reduction in CO2, and its properties enable the continued use of conventional fuel storage and bunkering with fewer modifications compared to other emerging fuels in the market at this time. However, the production of green methanol is still in the early stages and will require continued investments to scale for distribution and consumption globally sufficiently.

Collaboration

The pathway to net zero will be complex. It will require significant collaboration across the company’s network of stakeholders, including suppliers, communities, governments and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), to collectively partner and find solutions to combat climate change.

The company is continuously exploring partnerships to champion efforts surrounding the development of green fuels along with the global infrastructure to produce, store and distribute these fuels. The company also views cross-sector collaboration as a catalyst for effective and accelerated change. It is active in industry associations, such as the Methanol Institute, and regional forums. For example, the company is a first-mover partner of the Pacific Northwest to Alaska Green Corridor, a collaborative effort between ports, governments and cruise operators in the region to explore a maritime green corridor aimed at accelerating the deployment of zero GHG emission ships and operations between Alaska, British Columbia, and Washington.

In addition, the company continues to actively partner with key ports to accelerate the use of shore power technology which allows cruise ships to connect to onshore electrical power grids to supply much of the power needed while docked. While the land-based infrastructure expansion is underway, the company is also equipping its ships with the technology needed to plug in, targeting to have approximately 70% of its fleet equipped by 2025.

“We are encouraged to see the significant progress and momentum across sectors to decarbonise, but fundamental challenges continue to exist for the cruise industry to fully decarbonise by 2050,” said Jessica John, vice president of ESG, Investor Relations and Corporate Communications of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. “Rather than waiting for these challenges to dissolve, our strategy is about acting now to implement efficient solutions today, innovate for future solutions and collaborate with our stakeholders along the way. Underpinning this strategy is good governance and effective risk management as we work to advance our climate action efforts and build our company’s resilience.”

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd.

(Source: NCLH)

China’s outbound trips peak for Labour Day

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TTR WEEKLY
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SINGAPORE, 27 April 2023: Travelport, a technology company that powers bookings for travel suppliers worldwide, released on Wednesday trend data highlighting the resurgence of outbound travel from mainland China.

Demand has continued to rise leading up to Chinese u Day (1 May 1), historically one of the most popular times for tourists from mainland China to travel.

Outbound Travel Trends

With quarantine restrictions now lifted, the first quarter of 2023 saw outbound bookings from mainland China increase by 331% compared to last year. However, mainland China is only 21% of its 2019 outbound booking levels. According to OAG, international airline capacity is at 37% of its April 2019 availability.

According to a recent McKinsey survey, pent-up demand for outbound travel from mainland China is massive, with 40% of survey respondents wanting to travel and prioritising international destinations for their next trip.

China outbound 2023: The top five destinations

1 Hong Kong SAR (#4 in 2019)

2 Macau SAR (#9 in 2019)

3 Thailand (#2 in 2019)

4 United States (#5 in 2019)

5 South Korea (#3 in 2019)

One major difference in 2023 travel is that tourists from mainland China take shorter trips, with the percentage of two-day and three to four-day trips increasing. This may explain why closer destinations, such as Hong Kong and Macau, claim the number one and two spots. Additionally, of all the flight options available from mainland China, the majority (71%) are bound for Asia Pacific.

Chinese Labour Day

Labour Day in China is an annual public holiday on 1 May. In recent years, the holiday has been expanded to include a three-day break, making it one of the most popular times of the year to travel. The two-week period from 24 April through to 7 May (the week of Labour Day and the week before) tends to be the ideal period for travellers to get away.

Due to pent-up demand, outbound travel from mainland China during this year’s holiday period has reached a three-year high. Travel bookings for these dates have increased by 470% compared to last year alone.

Additionally, unlike the rest of the year, these dates see a noticeable spike in trips longer than 10 days, which may explain why the top destinations for these travel dates are further afield. Long haul locales such as the UK and Canada have all entered the top 10 for these dates only, and the US claims the number two spot.

Thai Vietjet sets up Payday Special

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TTR WEEKLY
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BANGKOK, 27 April 2023: Thai Vietjet’s latest one-way fare deal, named ‘Payday Special’ kicks in at THB 599 (including taxes and fees) for travel on the airline’s entire domestic network from 16 May to 31 December 2023.

Bookings must be confirmed before midnight on 30 April.

The promotional fare applies on all Thai Vietjet’s domestic flights network from Bangkok (Suvarnabhumi) to Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Phuket, Krabi, Hat Yai, Surat Thani, Udon Thani, Khon Kaen, and Ubon Ratchathani and cross-country routes connecting Phuket to Chiang Mai.

Travellers can book the fare on all the airline’s distribution channels, including the airline’s website and mobile app or via Facebook, authorised travel agencies and the airline’s booking counters.

Thai Vietjet operates flights from Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport to Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Phuket, Krabi, Udon Thani, Hat Yai, Khon Kaen, Ubon Ratchathani, and Surat Thani. Plus it offers cross-country flights from Phuket to Chiang Mai. The airline is expanding its international flight network connecting Thailand with Vietnam, Singapore, Cambodia, Japan and Taiwan, and other destinations to be announced shortly.

HKIA monitors air traffic rebound

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TTR WEEKLY
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HONG KONG, 27 April 2023: Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK) released traffic figures for Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) for March 2023.

During the month, HKIA handled 2.8 million passengers, more than 28 times the amount recorded in March 2022, and 372,000 tonnes of cargo, representing year-on-year growth of 5.8%. Flight movements in March more than doubled year on year to 20,130.

HKIA was recently awarded Level 4, “Transformation”, in Airports Council International’s Airport Carbon Accreditation (ACA) programme.

Average daily passenger traffic increased steadily over the first three weeks of April. HKIA has handled approximately 100,000 per day, reaching 50% of pre-pandemic levels.

Passenger demand continued to improve in March 2023 after the lifting of travel restrictions. All passenger segments experienced significant growth compared to the same month last year, including a strong performance by Hong Kong residents. Traffic to and from Southeast Asia, Mainland China and Japan saw the largest increases.

Cargo remained impacted by global economic uncertainties. Although cargo volume grew year on year in March 2023, this was primarily due to the low base for comparison set during the same month last year following pandemic-related supply chain disruptions. Exports grew by 19% year on year. Traffic to and from key trading regions in North America, the Middle East and Europe saw the most significant increases during the month.

Over the year’s first three months, HKIA handled 7.0 million passengers, nearly 27 times more than in 2022. Flight movements registered a year-on-year increase of 74.2% to 52,650. Cargo volume decreased by 6.3% to 950,000 tonnes.

On a 12-month rolling basis, passenger volume rose to 12.4 million, representing a 7.7-fold increase over the previous comparable period. Flight movements saw an 11.5% increase to 161,160, while cargo throughput decreased by 16% to 4.1 million tonnes.

In other news, HKIA was recently awarded Level 4, “Transformation”, in Airports Council International’s Airport Carbon Accreditation (ACA) programme, recognising the airport’s firm commitment to reducing its carbon footprint and its achievements in carbon management.

Launched in 2009, ACA is the only institutionally endorsed global carbon management certification standard for airports. It was established to help the airport industry benefit from shared expertise, achieve lower energy consumption and reduce carbon emissions.

AAHK general manager, Sustainability Peter Lee said: “We are honoured to receive ACA Level 4 accreditation, which underscores our tireless efforts in carbon management. We pledge to achieve Net Zero Carbon by 2050, with a midpoint target of 55% in absolute emissions reduction by 2035 from a 2018 baseline.”

Russian travel shifts from Europe

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TTR WEEKLY
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SINGAPORE, 27 April 2023: Turkey, UAE, and Thailand are becoming more important tourist destinations for Russian travellers, while classic European destinations such as Italy, Germany, France, Spain, and Greece have seen a significant decrease.

The impact of sanctions on Russians, travel restrictions and the fall of the ruble have combined to drastically reduce the number of travellers and change the destinations Russians visit for holidays.

Mabrian, a leading travel intelligence provider, released a study on the new travel trends in the Russian market on 24 April, confirming that Turkey was the destination that gained the biggest influx of Russian tourists in 2022.

The study is based on an analysis of the hotel demand by Russian travellers and the average hotel room price in more than 700 destinations worldwide during 2022, compared with 2019 trends.

Mabrian used its travel intelligence platform to analyse more than 2 million reviews posted by Russians and the published hotel prices in the main OTA’s (Booking, Expedia and TripAdvisor) over two years.

Tourist destinations in the Middle East and Asia are gaining importance, especially Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and Thailand.

As for closer proximity tourism, Georgia, Armenia, and Kazakhstan have become among the top 20 preferred destinations for Russians in 2022.

Meanwhile, the classic European tourist destinations, including Italy, Germany, France, Spain, and Greece, have had the most significant negative impact based on the current situation, showing a drastic decrease in Russian tourists.

Important factors that affected those tourist destinations include the impact of sanctions on Russians, the difficulties travelling from Russia to Europe due to the EU and UK visa restrictions and the ban on direct flights between Russia and Europe. The fall of the value of the ruble during the summer of 2022 is another relevant factor to be considered – especially considering that the average hotel price in Italy is, on average 46% higher than the average price in Turkey.

Mabrian director of marketing and sales Carlos Cendra said: “As one of the largest source markets for international tourism over the last 20 years, the Russian market plays a crucial role in the global travel industry, and in recent times it has become essential for destinations and companies to understand their evolving trends and preferences.

“Our study shows the current situation has deeply impacted the Russian travel market, and there is a changing profile indicating tourists are exploring destinations in the Middle East, Asia, and neighbouring countries.”

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