ATOR Has Asked the Ministry of Economic Development to Allow Sales of Package Tours to the UAE
On April 30, the Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR) officially submitted a request to the Ministry of Economic Development to allow tour operators to resume selling package tours to the United Arab Emirates and other Middle Eastern countries. This was announced by ATOR Executive Director Maya Lomidze.

According to Lomidze, discussions…
https://russtd.com/ator-has-asked-the-ministry-of-economic-development-to-allow-sales-of-package-tours-to-the-uae.html

Seychelles: Season 2026
By the end of 2025, 37,595 Russian tourists visited the Seychelles. This is a 7.3% increase compared to 2024 (35,030 visits). Thus, Russia takes the third place in the ranking of key inbound markets in 2025, behind only Germany (55,497 visits) and France (41,409 visits), and continued to close the gap.

In the first quarter of 2026, according…
https://russtd.com/seychelles-season-2026.html

The Japanese Visa Application Centre in Moscow Has Tightened Document Screening Procedures
The Japan Visa Application Center in Moscow, which opened in February of this year, has begun implementing its own administrative procedures, which are markedly stricter than the previous, more lenient procedures of the Japanese Embassy.
https://russtd.com/the-japanese-visa-application-centre-in-moscow-has-tightened-document-screening-procedures.html

ITB China 2026 Expands 20% and Is Fully Sold Out
ITB China 2026, one of the flagship events in China’s travel industry, grows by 20% in net exhibition space and brings together more than 900 travel organisations and 1,700 key buyers, generating over 46,000 pre-scheduled meetings.

ITB China 2026 will take place from 26–28 May 2026 at the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition and Convention Center.…
https://russtd.com/itb-china-2026-expands-20-and-is-fully-sold-out.html

Demand for Tours to Georgia Has Tripled: Key Factors of the Boom
Demand from Russian tourists for trips to Georgia has risen sharply. Some market participants have reported a threefold increase in sales over the past year, according to the Association of Tour Operators of Russia. Travel agencies note that clients predominantly prefer comfortable accommodation in 4–5 star hotels. 
Official data from Georgian…

China will extend visa-free regime with Russia until the end of 2027
Starting September 15, 2025, China introduced a one-year visa-free regime for Russian citizens. In response, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree granting visa-free entry to Russia for Chinese citizens.
Chinese Foreign Ministry representative Guo Jiakunannounced that China will extend the visa-free regime with Russia until December…

Russian tourists rush to Mauritius despite no direct flights
Mauritius can hardly be called a mass-market destination: there are no direct flights from Russia, the journey takes a long time, and package tours cost more than those to traditional beach countries. Yet in 2026 this very island has turned out to be one of the most popular exotic destinations among ATOR tour operators (tour operators included in…

Direct flights to Tanzania are planned for July
The Russian travel industry is eyeing Air Tanzania's new flights to Zanzibar and Dar es Salaam, scheduled to depart from Moscow in early July 2026. Tour operators are currently studying the specifics of the new route, which is expected to be well-served.
Tour operators name the launch of direct flights to Tanzania a long-awaited event.

How will Russians fly to Turkey now?
On May 25, Turkish airlines Air Anka and TailWind ceased operations in Russia due to the expiration of temporary permits previously issued by the Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsia). However, the carriers managed to sell tickets to tour operators (primarily Anex Tour) until the end of October.
As a result, approximately 2,100 Russian…

New Tunisia flight program from Russia launches with 100% occupancy on debut flights
Pegas Touristik has officially resumed sales and operations for Tunisia, initiating charter flights from both Moscow and St. Petersburg to Monastir. The new flight program is being operated by Egypt’s Pyramids Airlines, on an Airbus A321 aircraft configured with 220 economy-class seats. The schedule is designed to offer maximum flexibility for travelers:…

25% more Russians in Japan – and they’re not stopping at one visit
Russian tourism to Japan is experiencing a remarkable surge in 2026. According to the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), 12,800 Russian citizens visited Japan in June 2026, which is 7.1% more than in June 2025. Over the first half of the year, the total number of Russian visitors reached 104,400, a 24.7% increase compared to the 83,700 recorded…

Foreign tour from Russia now costs $2,500 on average
As follows from the data of the Onlinetours package tour booking service, in Russia, the average check for foreign tours in the first half of 2026 increased to 196,500 rubles ($2,500), or by 7% compared to the same period in 2025. The demand for trips abroad increased by 44%.
Turkey remained the leader in terms of booking…

Russia becomes No. 2 European source market for Hong Kong
Russian tourism to Hong Kong is growing fast. In the first five months of 2026, the number of Russian visitors went up by over 50% compared to the same period last year. This is according to the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB). From January to May, Hong Kong welcomed 110,000 visitors from Russia. This figure represents a 57.6% increase compared to…