MOSCOW, August 30. /TASS/. Around 5 mln tourists from Russia traveled abroad this summer as part of organized tours, with Turkey, Abkhazia and the UAE being the most popular destinations for Russians, Vice President of the Russian Union of Tourism Industry Dmitry Gorin told a press conference.
"Some 5 mln tourists on organized tours traveled to other countries during the three summer months," he said.
Among the most popular foreign destinations among Russian organized tourists this summer were Turkey (at least 2.6 mln tourists in June, July, and August), Abkhazia (1.2 mln), the UAE (350,000), Egypt (300,000), and Thailand (180,000). Russian tourists also traveled to the Maldives, (55,000 people), Cuba (35,000), Sri Lanka (27,000), and the Seychelles (11,000), Gorin said.
Moreover, around 800,000 Russians visited Thailand in half a year, which is a good indicator that tourist flow to the country is recovering, the expert noted.