MOSCOW, July 4. /TASS/. The flow of Russian tourists traveling to Egypt and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) may decrease by less than 1% in 2025 compared to the previous year, despite the conflict in the Middle East, Maya Lomidze, Executive Director of the Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR), said in an interview with TASS.

"I believe that there will be no decline by the end of the year. Yes, there was a one-week sales slump, up to 40% for some companies, but recovery has already begun. And, knowing the behavior of our tourists, if no major incidents occur, by year-end the decrease may be less than 1%," Lomidze said.

In 2024, nearly 2 mln Russian tourists visited the United Arab Emirates, while 1.48 ln traveled to Egypt.

Israel launched a military operation against Iran during the night of June 13. Less than a day later, the Islamic Republic carried out a retaliatory strike. The United States entered the conflict nine days after its escalation: during the night of June 22, the US Armed Forces struck three nuclear facilities in Iran. On the evening of June 23, Tehran launched a missile attack on Al Udeid, the largest US airbase in the Middle East, located in Qatar. According to US authorities, there were no casualties and no significant damage. Later, US President Donald Trump announced that Israel and Iran had agreed to a complete ceasefire. The truce came into effect on June 24.