The increase in the number of direct flights by Russian carriers to Southeast Asian countries, as well as the desire of Russians to apply for a US visa in Kuala Lumpur, have stimulated a significant increase in tourist interest in the subregion since the beginning of the month. Thailand and Sri Lanka have already managed to become one of the most popular foreign destinations. But, despite this, experts suggest that the current volume of transport will allow the tourism industry to reach only 30% of the pre-pandemic volume.
The demand for organized tours in Southeast Asian countries has increased significantly since the end of last week, Igor Blinov, a spokesperson for OnlineTur.ru, told Kommersant. We mainly talk about trips to Thailand, Vietnam, India and Sri Lanka. These indications, according to the expert, make up 5% of overseas tour sales for November and up to 15% for the New Year and January holidays, whereas they were not actually represented before.
Travelata.ru notes that demand for Southeast Asia has grown 4.5 times since early October; in the week from 24 to 30 October the countries of the subregion accounted for 11% of tour operator sales. Every second tour the Russians buy in Thailand. Intourist representative Daria Domostroeva notes that this country and Sri Lanka have entered the top 5 of the most popular off-season foreign destinations, competing with the United Arab Emirates and the Maldives.
The main reason for the growth in market demand is the increase in transport. Ms Domostroeva draws attention to the increase in the number of flights to Bangkok, Phuket and Sri Lanka. At the end of last week, Aeroflot resumed flights to Phuket, since November the program from Irkutsk to Thailand has been announced by S7 and Icarus. The latter airline also provides flights from Khabarovsk, Krasnoyarsk and Novosibirsk. Daria Domostroeva also talks about the high load of Azur Air charter flights to Sri Lanka from Moscow, St. Petersburg, Novosibirsk and Krasnoyarsk. The carrier also announced flights from the regions to India.
Vice-President of the Russian Union of the Travel Industry Dmitry Gorin links this trend to the gradual expansion of the capabilities of Russian carriers: if in June 44 the aircraft of the imported fleet could fly abroad, with the gradual transfer of aircraft to Russian jurisdiction, their number increased to 89.
To this are added 148 SSJs and flights of foreign carriers. Mr. Gorin states that the share of tourists organized in the direction is growing due to the more attractive prices of the tour operators. “Often a tour in Thailand costs the same amount as buying air tickets alone,” he says.
Igor Blinov notes that the cost of holidays in Thailand now starts from 100-150 thousand rubles. Travelata.ru marketing director Oleg Kozyrev points out that last week a tour in Thailand cost tourists an average of 210,000 rubles, 9% less than at the beginning of the month. At the same time, the average cost of booking tours in Sri Lanka and India did not change and remained at the level of 170 thousand and 125 thousand rubles. respectively.
In addition, Ms. Domostroyeva adds, Vietnam and Malaysia are also popular with tourists, direct flights with which they have not yet been restored. Although in the case of Malaysia, according to the expert, the dynamic could be due to the fact that many Russians apply for a visa for the United States through the consulate in Kuala Lumpur: there are tours with a thematic program on the market.
Igor Blinov calls the growing demand from Southeast Asia a positive sign for the tourism industry: destinations have been virtually absent from the organized mass market since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and now the market is pinning their hopes for the winter season. But Daria Domostroeva says current sales are still incomparable with autumn 2019 volumes. Dmitry Gorin doubts the market will be able to reach pre-pandemic level this year. Before the crisis, the flow of organized tourists to Thailand from the Russian Federation was 1.5 million people per year. According to Gorin, the existing transport volume is unlikely to reach more than 30% of the pre-crisis volume.
