MOSCOW, May 4. /TASS/. The number of Russian tourists traveling overseas rose by 90% in the Q1 of 2023 compared to the same period last year, totaling 2.5 mln trips, according to the Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR).
"The number of key tourist destinations was reduced to 20 major countries in 2022, with Russians visiting them in 1.3 mln trips in January-March. The list of countries has altered slightly in 2023, but 20 main tourism spots remain with 2.47 mln visitors in January-March 2023. Thus, international tourist flow from Russia increased by 90% in the Q1 of 2023 compared to the same period in 2022, but remained 11% lower than in the same pre-pandemic quarter of 2019," the statement said.
The figures do not include Russians traveling to the CIS countries for tourist purposes. In the Q1 of 2023, the most frequent destinations for Russian visitors were Turkey (772,700 trips), Thailand (566,400), the UAE (492,800), and Egypt (277,200). Sri Lanka, the Maldives, India, Serbia, Cuba, and Qatar were also in the top ten destinations.