Sanctions on Russia ‘can impact Russian tourist arrivals’

Newly imposed international sanctions on Russia, combined with existing sanctions, could affect the flow of Russian tourists to Türkiye, according to Firuz Bağlıkaya, president of the Association of Turkish Travel Agencies (TÜRSAB).

Türkiye is one of the favored destinations of Russian holidaymakers with the Mediterranean province of Antalya standing out.

In the first 11 months of 2024, 6.25 million Russians visited Türkiye, making up 13.2 percent of all foreign tourist arrivals in the country. From January to November, 3.85 million Russians vacationed in Antalya alone.

Bağlıkaya noted that the U.S. expanded sanctions to add UnionPay cards issued by Gazprombank.

"This may cause Russian citizens to experience difficulties with payments and financial transactions during their vacations in Türkiye," he explained.

Bağlıkaya also mentioned the recent depreciation of the ruble and the decline in the purchasing power of Russian citizens are among the factors that have the potential to negatively affect the number of visitors from Russia to Türkiye next year.

Steps should be taken to minimize potential losses in the Russian market and to compete with rival countries, he added.

Considering the weaker ruble, hotels should offer discounts in prices, according to Bağlıkaya.

"Currently, prices in Egypt are 35 percent lower than those offered in Türkiye. With the actions they will take, it will become 50 percent more affordable compared to Türkiye," he explained.

"Destinations such as Dubai and Qatar are also taking measures to attract Russian tourists. In the long term, we should take into account the price policies of our competitors," he said.