MOSCOW, August 16. /TASS/. International tourist flow from Russia in the first half of 2021 decreased almost twice compared to the same period in 2020 and amounted to 1.8 mln people, the Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR) announced on Monday.

"The international outbound tourist flow to the 15 most popular destinations with operating air traffic, receiving Russian tourists, amounted to 1,779,445 trips in the first half of 2021," the statement said.

The association explained, in the reporting period of 2021, the outbound tourist flow decreased by almost half year-on-year (-49.33% compared to the same period in 2020). "This decline might not have happened if the main outbound tourist destination for Russians, Turkey, had not been closed in April, which lasted until June 21, 2021," the association said.

In the first half of 2020, when many popular mass destinations were opened in the winter months, such as Thailand and Vietnam, charters flew to the UAE and other countries of the Persian Gulf, the tourist flow to open mass destinations of the non-CIA countries amounted to 3.512 mln trips, ATOR said.

According to the association, in the first half of 2021, almost half of the tourist trips (45.3%) were in Turkey. Compared to 2020, Turkey has improved its indicators (+135%), but it is still very far from pre-pandemic volumes. Meanwhile, 806,200 people visited Turkey in the first half of 2021. In addition, 294,500 tourists visited the United Arab Emirates, 172,300 people — Cyprus, 115,500 — Egypt, around 92,000 — the Maldives.

"Many mass markets remain closed for Russians, but even the mass destinations available for tourism to our citizens, due to the limited volume of air transportation, cannot reach the pre-pandemic rates. Only niche destinations are growing," ATOR said. For example, in the first half of 2021, the tourist flow to the Maldives rose more than threefold against the same period of 2019, to Tanzania — by 7.8-fold, to Cuba by 8.23%.

Thus, tourist flow to Turkey in the first half of 2021 decreased in comparison with the same period of 2019 by 70.6%, to the UAE — by 43.1%, to Cyprus — by 52.17%, to Serbia — by 26.9 %, to Greece — by 88.12%, to Tunisia — by 90.33%, to Croatia — by 28.4%, to Mexico — by 74%.