Russian tourist interest in Turkey up 59 pct

The warming of relations between Turkey and Russia has started affecting the tourism sector. According to travel website momondo.com, interest from Russian tourists in Turkey has increased 59 percent. Between June 16 and June 26 when Russia's ban on tour sales and charter flights to Turkey was still in effect, Turkey was the fifth country among international destinations searched by Russian tourists.

After the ban was lifted, flight searches started increasing rapidly. A 59 percent increase between June 30 and July 10 put Turkey in third, following Italy and Spain. According to Momondo, the resort-heavy Antalya leads the way among flight destinations searched for by Russians, followed by Dalaman, Gazipaşa in Alanya and Bodrum. An increase in demand caused ticket prices to increase. While round-trip tickets were previously sold for an average of TL 770 ($266), the prices doubled in July and reached as much as TL 1,580.

Momondo's Russian spokeswoman Irina Ryabovol said: "Turkey has long been a favored holiday destination for Russians, not just for the country's natural, historical and cultural assets, but also for the price-quality balance and the best service. Even after the ruble devaluation and crisis, searches for Turkey increased. Provided that everything advances as authorities and experts in travel industry foresee following the recent developments, the number of tourists from Russia to Turkey will increase. We believe this situation will be beneficial for the tourism sectors of both of the countries."