Expert Muradyan: “Prices for tours in dollars and euros increased by 7-12%, in rubles — by 50-100%”
Türkiye is no longer attractive to Russians, said Turkish economic commentator Mustafa Recep Ercin. According to him, the reason is the sharp rise in prices for travel packages. Meanwhile, according to statistics, the demand for holidays on the Antalya coast among domestic tourists has even increased this year. So what is the situation with the Turkish direction in reality? How have prices for tours changed and should we expect a drop in prices? Artur Muradyan, vice-president of the Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR) for international tourism, told MK about this.
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— There are no prerequisites for Turkey to lose its leadership among the outbound flow from Russia in absolute terms. It is ahead of all other areas by a huge margin. But the struggle for Russian tourists in other destinations in the summer has intensified, and, of course, this affects the preferences of the vacationers themselves. Tourists from Russia have begun to choose their vacation options more carefully. But in many cases, Türkiye is still the preferred destination for our vacationers. It is wrong to blame Turkish market players for unreasonably raising prices for Russians. The total cost of the tourism product includes, in particular, transportation, which remains expensive. At the same time, I have not heard Turkish carriers complain about the lack of interest on the part of Russian citizens. If the problem really existed, complaints would come from three sides: from Russian operators, from carriers, and from citizens themselves. And now you can contact any major operator, and everyone will say that Turkey is still number one in demand.
— For Turkey, the tourist flow forecast for the summer of 2024 is 3 million 120 thousand people from Russia. The closest region behind it is Abkhazia — 1 million 150 thousand people. Along the Antalya coast, the dynamics of tourist flow is plus 25% compared to last year. Meanwhile, Türkiye itself is under stress due to hyperinflation. In terms of rising costs, hoteliers are very unhappy. But if we talk about demand from Russians, then just look at the number of flights from Russia to Turkey. There is no such quantity anywhere else.
— The official dynamics that we measure gives an increase in cost in the range of 7–12%, but this is in euro equivalent. It is very important to note here that in rubles compared to 2022, of course, the increase in cost for a number of hotels will be from 50 to 100%. All because of the ruble exchange rate. But if you look at it in currency terms, the increase in price is quite insignificant. This is despite the fact that prices for other countries have dropped, for example, tours to the UAE, Egypt and Thailand have become cheaper this summer. Turkey's image as a budget summer tourist destination is crumbling. It’s no longer budget, but a strong mid-ranger.
— Let me remind you that there was a time when the euro cost 50-55 rubles. Prices for tours in dollars and euros have changed insignificantly. Indeed, the reason for the rise in prices for tours for Russians is our ruble. And the Turkish side is definitely not to blame for this. Local hoteliers at Turkish resorts have not increased the cost of their services by multiples.
— Turkish hoteliers are already doing this. Indeed, cheaper tourism products are appearing on the market. Imagine, we started the season with an average bill in the region of 180–200 thousand rubles, and now there are offers from 100 to 150 thousand. This is a week of relaxation for two in a three-star hotel. But the entire hotel segment will not massively reduce the cost of accommodation for Russia. Because our tourists, although they are in first place, are followed by German tourists with a minimal margin. And the Germans earned money in euros before and still earn money now.
— Most likely, there are no exact analogues. If it is expensive for you to travel during the summer season, reschedule your vacation for the velvet season, which lasts until the end of October. Prices for autumn tours are changing towards cheaper prices. Another piece of advice: tourists interested in foreign holidays should study all the destinations currently open to Russians. There are tours, for example, to Latin America, the UAE, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. All these countries, in one way or another, have the sea, the beach and everyone’s favorite all-inclusive format. Well, for lovers of luxury hotels in Turkey, I can recommend the Maldives. This direction will not be more expensive than Turkey. If a holiday in a premium hotel on the Antalya coast costs 1 million rubles, then you can easily fly to the Maldives for 600-700 thousand rubles.
Destination Forecast tourist flow (trips), 3 months of summer 2024
Turkey 3 million 120 thousand people
Abkhazia 1 million 150 thousand people
UAE 300 thousand people
Egypt 260 thousand people
Thailand 2020 thousand people
Turkey: +25%
Thailand : +22%
Egypt: +20%
Abkhazia: +15%
UAE: +10%
Destination Average tour bill per person in rubles Dynamics by 2023
Turkey 105-128 thousand rubles. +7-12%
Abkhazia 55-61 thousand rubles. +2-5%
UAE 90-113 thousand rubles. +8-11%
Egypt 81-94 thousand rubles. +2-4%
Thailand 93-107 thousand rubles. +1-2%
Source: ATOR