News Flash

• Russians make 1.3 more trips abroad then the Chinese, 3.4 more than Indians, and 4.6 more than Brazilians. That's according to the latest research by the World Travel Monitor. In 2011, Russian made 23.8 million Russians trips abroad, compared to 18.3 million trips by the Chinese. Of all BRIC countries, Russia is the fastest growing market in terms of travelling abroad and has the highest level of income followed by Brazil, China and India.

Analyzing the results of the summer season 2012 (June - August, 2012), the Russian Association of Tour Operators believe that there was a 15% to 25% increase for sun and sea destinations, except for Turkey which was 1% down on last years figures while Egypt had a 1% increase. However, Turkey is still no. 1 destinations for the Russian tourist for the summer period, followed by Egypt, Greece, Spain, Bulgaria and Croatia. Greece grew by 20% during June-August 2012, confirming that Russians are more robust than their European counterparts when it comes to political or economic instability, as long as the price is right. Croatia was previously a visa free for the Russians, but its membership to the EU in 2013 will mean that Russians will be required to get a visa and this will no doubt impact on the Russian figures to that destination in the future.

Among other important trends noted by ATOR is a gradual more away from last minute bookings, nevertheless 11% of Russians made the booking at least 2 months or more prior to their trip. At least 5 million Russians spent their summer holidays abroad this year of which 18% were "last minute" bookers purchasing packages costing less than $600 per trip, while  47% of them spend from $600 to $1500 per trip and  34%  more than $1500 per person.

In St-Petersburg and the North-West region of Russia, Turkey is losing its popularity compared with 2011 as destinations like Spain and Greece increase their market share. Top destinations this summer were Finland and Estonia, a constant trend for this region due its geographical proximity and accessibility by both car and train. Also, a high % of St-Petersburg residents have a Finnish visa which means that they have a Schengen visa. The Top 10 summer destinations for residents of St Petersburg were: Greece, Egypt, Spain, France and Cyprus. The largest TO, according the financial bonding system, are: Neva, Versa and Solvex Tourne.